We'll Be Together Again
by VanishRain
Summary: Booth is sent away on a mission, when he returns his relationship with Brennan shatters. She is left alone to care for a child he doesn't know exists. Two years later she is left with a plaguing guilt, knowing she must repair the relationship for Maggie.
1. The Sands of Time

"Noo… please don't go." Brennan pleaded, shooting up in a cold sweat. Her eyes darted back and forth across her bedroom as she placed her head back against her headboard, trying to assure herself it was nightmare and nothing more. But she knew the truth. She was living her nightmare.

"What is wrong honey?" Her new flavor of the week rolled over, "I told you not to have that last glass of wine but…"

Before he had finished his thought he found the shadow of the woman he was once in bed with fade into the night. He knew he now had the bed to himself. They had been seeing each other very casually for three weeks now and when she asked him up to her place a week ago he thought the tides had finally turned and he would have his chance to crack the impenetrable shell of Temperance Brennan.

The evening had went very well, he believed, but at 2:04 a.m. when he was rocketed out of his sleep by the shrills of the woman to his side he knew something had gone horribly wrong. He had done everything but practically grovel for a response but after a few minutes of ignoring him, Brennan stood and walked out of the room to be perfectly fine in the morning when he woke up. For the first few nights he had tried to stay awake to see if she came back but soon he found it was a lost cause.

'At least the sex is good' he thought to himself before rolling over on his side of the bed and falling quickly asleep.

"Bacon and eggs! Score!" The young man walked into the kitchen, basking in the early morning sun. For all her faults there were two areas were Brennan shinned, breakfast and sex. And if he had to deal with her insanity to get those two things daily, it was a risk any man was willing to take.

Brennan turned to the man, smiled and turned back toward the stove. Hopefully he wouldn't notice the bloodshot eyes or tear stained face. He had never before, why would he now?

"What is that around your neck?" He asked, shoveling eggs onto his plate.

Brennan's eyes went wide as she glanced down at the two dog tags hanging very low around her neck. Normally she remembered to lock them up safely but last night time must have gotten the better of her.

"No… nothing." She stuttered.

"Oh, it has to be something…" He placed his plate down and wrapped his hands seductively around her, "I may not have perfect vision but I know I saw something…" As he ran his hands over to the dog tags Brennan visibly flinched. Normally she didn't even let anyone see them but his slimy hands were all over her most prized possession. She could take the way he left his stuff all over her apartment and even the bad sex but this was much more than any sane woman could take.

"Out!" She barked, pushing him against the kitchen table.

"But baby it is only six…"

"Peter, Jack, James, Matt… I don't care what your name is. I just want you out of my house as soon as possible!"

"But Tempe…" He sweetly smiled, "I haven't had my morning kiss yet."

Brennan's glare held firm. The man slowly turned and walked out the front door, refusing to even pick up his belongings. He knew that look, the passion that burned within. The woman standing before him was a woman who had face immeasurable loss yet still had the strength to live day after day. How she did it was beyond him.

As soon as the door slammed behind him a flood of relief fell over Brennan. Another man gone and although she was alone, she once again was free. Free to let the tears flow and grieve what she never deserved in the first place. Her eyes slowly fell, mesmerized by the glistening white gold band that clashed sharply with the sand warn dog tags.

"He promised me forever…" She whispered as the tears began to flow once more. "But forever was never enough…"

It had been two years and ten days since her life was shattered and she learned that forever was not good enough by any means. He said he would be gone for a week, only seven days and when he came back he would give her the wedding she deserved. When he came back he was not the man she knew, not the man any of them knew. He was a hollow shell of a man.

Something inside him had changed on the fateful mission. Something she never knew he had. If getting him back took until her dying breath, it would have been worth it in her eyes. All she wanted in life was to get her partner back, her life back and most importantly her husband back.


	2. As the Bough Breaks

"Brennan, you need to tell him. Maggie is almost sixteen months old now. You cannot keep pretending that her father is off in some far off country. He is two blocks away from your house, Brennan. Two!" Angela spoke softly, rocking the young child in her arms. "You even moved to be closer to him."

"I know but…"

"He has a child… a daughter. Don't you think he would enjoy fact that his daughter is almost as smart as her mother?"

"Angela… it just isn't like that, okay? With us it is different… it has always been different." She averted her gaze, fixating on the bright coloured keys dangling from her diaper bag.

"I know it is, Bren. You two are the most suborn people I have ever met but he will want to know about this… her. He deserves to know he has a child."

Brennan meekly nodded in response. As good as a mother she knew she could be, her daughter deserved both of her parents. Once he was a man who prided himself on taking care of his family, sure that part of him hadn't changed… she hoped.

"So how was your lecture?" Angela smiled, placing the now slumbering child in her mother's arms.

"It was um… uh… eventful." She fumbled, rocking her daughter softly as she gripped her mother's shirt tightly.

"You didn't go, did you? What was his name this time?" Angela sternly spoke to her friend, trying not to wake the child.

Brennan looked down at her daughter and sighed, chewing roughly at the inside of her bottom lip.

"We go through this every couple of months. You come up with some lecture you need to do, just to cancel it at the last second so you can romp around with some guy who is half your age and has no idea you have a child. She is a human being, Brennan." Angela glared, firmly.

"I know but… you don't know what it is like Ang. I am a single mother."

"By your own devices. You know for a fact if you told him about her that he would be involved in her life, 110%. His natural instinct to protect his young is still intact. He may not act like the Booth we all knew and loved but he will love his child, he will." Angela placed her hand on her friend's arm trying to keep the tears at bay.

Temperance Brennan had for years declared her need to be independent and do everything herself but in the few months since Maggie's birth Angela had seen Brennan's walls come crashing down without the security of Booth's arms to protect her. She was fragile and petrified. She needed Booth to survive, not the man he was now but the man he once was… the man who loved her.

"But what if he doesn't?" Brennan whispered her deep darkest fear, that her child would be rejected by him just as she had.

"He will, Bren. He will. And if he doesn't we will send your father after him."

"I am not sure that will be necessary, Angela." Brennan shrugged, "Maybe I should just send him a certified letter."

"What would it say? 'You have a daughter and I was too much of a chicken to tell you I was pregnant when you returned so she has spent her life fatherless. I would appreciate if you would step up and act like her father.' Real original, Bren. You need to tell him in person."

"I am sure I can articulate my meaning much better with written words." Her words fell flat.

"You have been saying you will do that for months and you never have. You see him weekly. You have had ample time to tell him but instead you hide from him at all costs. Do you really think he believed you had an emergency dig for exactly ten months, starting the week after he got back? I got news for you Bren, no one did."

Brennan stared at her confidant blankly, unsure of what to say. They had gone round and round with this only to reach the same conclusion, Brennan was a chicken.

"I need to get Mag home." Brennan turned to walk down the sidewalk to her car, "For dinner." She added for emphasis.

"Kiss her goodnight." Angela smiled, waving at her friend. They both knew Brennan had reached her limit and was fleeing.

"I will." Brennan spoke softly, rocking and humming to the suddenly waking child.

As Brennan pulled onto the main street her heart began to race. Her eyes fluttered down toward the clock. 7:07 p.m. In exactly twenty three minutes Parker's soccer team was to play their arch rivals. She wasn't sure if Booth was going to be there but she knew without a doubt Rebecca would be. Maybe Rebecca would know what to do; she did have experience with having Booth's child and it was her duty to tell Rebecca Parker had a sister.

With an expelled breath, Brennan made a sharp left and turned onto the freeway. She had just enough time to make it.


	3. A Mother Just Knows

As soon as Brennan buckled Maggie into her stroller the young child began to scream insensately. Even though normally she was a wonderful child there were some times when only one thing could calm the small child. As the screaming intensified, Brennan feverously began digging in the back seat.

"I know it's in here…" She threw the contents of her backseat onto the passenger seat until she found it, a singular, ragged FBI sweater. "Ah ha."

Wrapping the child tightly in the navy blue sweater, the crying suddenly ceased. Brennan looked down at the stroller; apparently they would not need it this evening. Placing the stroller in her trunk Brennan made the quick trip into the arena. As soon as the doors slid open, Maggie's eyes went wide at the new sights and sounds. In the far back corner lay a jersey vender and the bright colours drew Maggie's interest immediately.

"Might as well support your brother." Brennan swung her child back and forth, walking toward the small stand.

"Toddler Red Hawks jersey, please." Brennan focused all her attention on juggling her child and her purse.

"Tempe?" The vender asked.

The child cooed and smiled at the young man before her. Somehow his brown eyes seemed to set her instantly at ease, reminding her of a man she never even knew.

"Please call me..." Brennan looked up, "Oh… hi." She smiled briefly at her latest sexual companion.

"You didn't tell me you had a kid…" He spoke, flustered while shifting through the jerseys, "Where was your kid?!??"

"Maggie? Oh, well she was with her aunt for the week." Brennan pulled the child tightly toward her body, "What are you insinuating?"

"Nothing… I just thought you know what… never mind. The jersey is on the house. Enjoy the game."

"We will." She smiled, "Mag here wanted to see her brother."

The man slightly nodded. He knew that she was a strange woman but she had just tipped the creepy scale. Maybe there was truth to that rumor about her partner making he finally break. As she turned and walked away, he took a large sigh of relief. He had made it out just in time.

Brennan slipped on the jersey before walking into the jam packed arena. Maggie usually did not do well in situations with a lot of people and there were more people there then she had seen in her small time on this planet. Slowly backing up, Brennan bumped into the woman standing behind her.

"Sorry." Brennan turned to the woman and began to blush, "Rebecca?"

"Dr. Brennan… Is that you?" Rebecca picked up her scattered papers and smiled. "What are you doing here?"

"We are here to watch Parker's sporting event." She genuinely smiled.

"So you finally got Seeley to go to one of Parker's games? He has been begging Seeley for months now; finally someone got him in line." Rebecca's eyes scanned behind Brennan, looking for Booth. "I knew you would be the one to do it."

Just then the mound of sweater in her arms began to gurgle. Brennan pulled down the sweater to reveal a bouncing girl, grinning ear to ear.

"Maggie and I." She rocked the child, "I assume Booth has some paperwork to attend to at the office. I can call the Hoover to clarify his whereabouts if that is a necessity to you."

Rebecca's eyes were suddenly drawn to the jet black hair. The curls at the ends were a tall tale Booth characteristic and the crystal blue eyes and instant inquisitive smile? Her features almost masked her mother's perfectly. Why had she not seen this child or even heard that she existed? She knew Seeley's stance on children, if he had a daughter the whole world would know especially if it was the only woman in the world that knew him better then he knew himself.

"Seeley didn't tell me he had a daughter." Rebecca reached out for the child, instantly smitten with the child. "Does Parker know?" She dipped the child and she let out an infectious laugh.

"Uh… um… he…" Brennan's gaze soon fell, "He doesn't know."

"Who? Parker?" She dipped the child once more, "I am sure Seeley will tell him soon."

"Booth." She relented, "When he came back… I… I just couldn't tell him."

"So you got the cranky Seeley too? I thought it was just because his time with Parker was cut short but when he stopped showing up for any of Parker's activities I knew something was up."

"He doesn't want to be my partner anymore." The words just flowed from her lips, she wasn't sure why but she needed to tell someone, "He has not filed anything but I do hear the rumors." Brennan looked up at her once arch enemy and sighed, "What… what if he…"

"Dr. Brennan, I know the drastic change in Seeley is surprising to us all but I know for a fact he would love to have a daughter. I know we have not had the best relationship and I am in no place to tell you what to do with your child but he deserves to know."

Brennan looked up at the woman and her child. Maggie looked so happy in her arms. She deserved the greatest family Brennan could provide and that meant telling her father she existed regardless of consequences. Rebecca could see the doubt dancing across Brennan's features and it strongly tugged at her heart. She remembered feeling the exact same way before she told Seeley she was pregnant but how anyone could go so long with that guilt hanging over was beyond her. Temperance Brennan really was a strong person.

"I am not sure if I should tell you this but… even when the doctors told us that our child was a boy, he hoped against all hope he would magically turn into a girl." Rebecca looked slightly agitated but after a few breaths continued, "He has never told anyone this but to him daughters are like dolls. They are precious and so sweet; he figured he couldn't screw her up. I am sure you know his past with his father better than anyone, well with a son that is always weighing heavy on his heart. "

Brennan slightly frowned, unsure if she should trust her new confidant.

"We both have children by the same father. I know in the past we both have had ill intensions toward one another but I would never do anything to jeopardize my son's relationship with his father." Rebecca tried to reassure her, giving Maggie back to her mother, "In recent years you know Seeley better than anyone. If you were in my position what would you do?"

Brennan slightly nodded. If put in Rebecca's shoes, she would have given the same advice. Deep down she knew he deserved to know about his daughter but the daunting fear of rejection that permeated her every action had been just too strong.

"Whatever baggage you two have, I assure you not only as a friend but as the mother of her brother that he will do the right thing. He will be more then elated. Having a daughter will be the best thing that has happened to him. He has always wanted a baby girl to spoil." She tried to smile but it soon fell flat, "In the years of battling with Seeley over our son, I have learned one thing. It does not matter how you treat him or how much he hates you, he will still love his child unconditionally and do what is best for her. His children are his world… and most importantly, his world revolves around you. He may have turned into a complete dirt bag but he still loves you, deep down he always has."

The tears began to well up in Brennan's eyes as she turned and walked away. Was she so easy to read that even a woman who months ago passionately hated her, could read her like a book? Why couldn't her best friend… the man who made her complete, see all he had done?

"He'll be at The Joint, the strip club on the east side." Rebecca slightly shouted then blushed as everyone turned and stared at her. "… Until at least one."

"Thanks Rebecca." Brennan smiled and Maggie gurgled, "I will call next week and we can set up a play date."

"Parker would love that."

"And Dr. Brennan?"

Brennan turned on her heels at the edge of the stairs.

"She is just perfect. I know you have doubts about this but he would be an idiot to turn away from that smiling face. Just tell him and see how things go. He is much more receptive to your advances then you know. She is just what he has always wanted. Trust me."


	4. A Striptease? If You Say So… Pt 1

"Thanks again, Ange." Brennan knelt down and kissed her daughter's forehead for the sixth time since she had slipped on her shoes, "You don't know what this means to me."

"Go get her daddy!" Angela held onto her hands as Maggie stumbled toward her mother, "Hold up girl, you gotta stay here. It is bed time and I don't think your fake ID has arrived yet."

The child began to slightly whimper but with the glare in her mother's eyes, the crying soon ceased. Within moments she resumed her playing, ignoring the fact that her mother was once again leaving her.

"Her pears are in the fridge…" Brennan stormed out of the kitchen carrying a sippy cup full of juice, "If she…"

"Bren, I can handle it." Angela took the cup and steered her friend toward the door, "I watched her last week, remember? We will watch a little Rocky then invite some guys over. We'll party all night and be sleeping soundly when you get home."

Brennan's eyes suddenly went wide. Usually Booth was the one she went to with social cues and without him she was at a loss.

"I don't think Hodgins…" Brennan turned around in the doorway.

"I was kidding sweetie. We will eat dinner, play a bit then pass out by nine. You know she has always been a good sleeper." Brennan's eyes locked on her child and she visibly flinched, "I was kidding…" Angela reiterated, "Now go and get her family."

With a slight nod Brennan made it out her door without another incident. As soon as the door shut behind her the totality of her circumstances fell heavy on her heart. She knew she was doing the right thing for her child but was she really doing the right thing for herself? Sure she probably shouldn't have given up on their relationship as readily as she had but his words seemed to always cut her like a knife. And telling her he didn't love her while she was carrying his child was just enough to push the already shattered woman over the edge.

Her feet finally steadied under her as she wobbled down the two flights of stairs toward her car. It seemed like it had been years since she had dressed up for any man and in reality, it had been. Her short black dress was tight and taunt in all the right places. She knew he would love it. He had said so many years ago, that was if he would remember their first date at all.

She remembered it just as though it was yesterday. The dress, the shoes and most importantly the fact that all she had on underneath was the necklace he had given her for her birthday months before. Except this necklace was different. If she was going to bear her heart to the man who loved her, he deserved to know the truth. She had never forgotten and her ring was a perfect addition to show how much she actually remembered. The nerves that began to rise up mimicked those she felt that night with a slight twinge that she had left her daughter for the second time in the same number of days.

She always hated leaving her daughter for the fear she would miss something important. Maggie was ever evolving and ever moment she was different from the last. Soon she found herself parked in the parking lot at the strip club. The dingy exterior sent a shiver down her spine. She had no qualms with climbing down into the dirtiest pit for her remains but walking around a place crawling with sexually transmitted diseases was not something she was willing to do on her only free Saturday in the foreseeable future.

She slowly strolled into the club as the music pushed back against her form. The base practically pushed her back out the door. As her heels hit the title, the catcalls and whistles started. Her eyes went wide as everyone except the man she was there for watched her every move. Even though he was surrounded by beautiful women his eyes lay sternly affixed on his bottle, darting swiftly from the bottle to his phone and back.

Her pace picked up as wondering hands roamed around her very scantily clad body. Soon she found herself standing behind the man of her affection. Her long, nimble fingers stroked his shoulder sending him out of his stupor.

"Seeley…" She purred, laying a firm claim on the man in question.

"Yes, sweet little thing?" He looked up, practically choking on his beer. "Tem… Bones." He gasped, "What are you doing here?"

"I can guarantee she is not here for the ladies." Jared snickered, "You didn't tell me you two were together."

"We're not." Booth tried to force the words out but the pain that was written all over them was evident to everyone in the room.

Brennan's eyes fell as she quickly stepped in front of the two men. Her eyes looked up at her partner then quickly fell. Did he not love her anymore?

"She's giving you those eyes bro." Jared slammed back the last of his beer, "Those mommy eyes. You sure you didn't knock her up?"

"I got super sperm." Booth slurred, "I can knock any woman up just by looking at her. They are THAT good." He smiled, rolling his bottle between his fingers, eyes fixated on her palms.

Jared eyed Brennan before smiling sweetly at her. Placing his empty bottle down on the table he leaned forward, running his hand down her very short dress and down her legs.

"Damn Tempe, even after all these years you look hot. You look well…" He licked his lips before placing a firm grip on her thigh, "You sure you don't want her, Seels?"

Booth looked up at his partner then at his brother. Did he really want her to date anyone else? No but that didn't stop the ache from the signs pointing to the fact his chance with her had gone.

"I'm going to go grab another round." Booth stood in front of his partner, "You want one, Bones?"

Brennan just shrugged, with the way he had been ignoring her she wasn't sure how long she was going to be there. Booth placed his hands on her hips to move around her and both partner's shuttered in response.

"I… I know what you want." The words caught in his throat as he released his partner and for the second that their eyes met, she full heartedly believed he did.

"Sit, Temp, sit." Jared slurred, tapping the now vacant seat.

Brennan looked up at her partner to see him ordering the drinks and quickly sat down.

"So… I know you, you did not come here for the women. Why did you really come here?" Jared spoke frank, sizing her up.

"I just need to talk to my partner." She slightly smiled at him.

"And you couldn't do this at work on Monday? Shouldn't you still be at work… working with people whose families could care less if you find the killer because they are older then dirt?" He barked. He knew the look in her eyes; she was going to ruin his night out with his brother. Sure they had been doing this every weekend for months now but tonight he thought he was going to actually get his brother to look at a woman but after her showing up he knew the only woman he would be looking at would be her.

"I… I just couldn't."

"Couldn't what?" Booth set two beers and a glass of wine on the table before staring at his partner in his seat.

"Nothing, bro." Jared smiled.

Brennan quickly stood and walked around her partner so he could sit back down. Her eyes darted from the brothers, unsure if to sit or stand.

"Come over here, Tempe. I got a free seat." Jared grinned, patting his lap.

Brennan eyed Jared before sitting on her partner's lap. His body suddenly jerked up and responded to her presence. His hands locked on her hips, pulling her deeper onto his body. Her checks began to redden at his undeniable attraction to her.

"I think you embarrassed the poor girl." Jared grinned, faking hurt at her choice in brothers.

Booth glared at his brother, releasing one hand to grab his beer and pulling it to his lips. His free hand wrapped around her body, locking her into place on his lap.

"So what brought you here, Tempe?" Jared turned to the partners, knowing glint in his eyes.

"I need to talk to Booth…" She fumbled through her words, suddenly shy.

"I know when I am not wanted." Jared smiled, standing and walking to the bar.

"You need to talk to me?" His voice was soft and wavering.

Brennan nodded and tired to turn into his lap but his grip was too tight. He relinquished some control as she turned against his body and a small moan passed over his lips. As soon as she had turned to slightly face him his arm wrapped tighter around her body, keeping her from fleeing.

"Why couldn't you tell me at work?" He lifted his hand, moving a strand of hair away see her face, "What is so important that you need to tell me now?"

Brennan fumbled with her hands, suddenly nervous but as his free hand was placed over hers the nerves suddenly stopped.

"I… I have a secret."


	5. A Striptease? If You Say So… Baby Daddy

"You kept a secret…" His voice slightly cracked as his partner tensed in his arms, "from me?"

Brennan sharply looked away, forcing herself not to cry.

"It has come to my attention that daughters need their father." She said as clinically as she could.

"Yes, they do." He affirmed, making her words just that much more painful, "My boys are in the bank already. You don't have to ask to ask permission, I already gave you my consent. I'll sign the form if you give it to me again."

She expelled a hard breath as she turned back to her partner.

"Do you remember the last time we went out for dinner?"

"A month ago. Yeah, sure. What about it?"

"And I said I had to go home to babysit?"

"Around nine… which is odd… what are you getting at Bones?"

"Well I didn't have to babysit… exactly…" She fumbled, "I had a babysitter."

"Huh?" He turned her body to face him, watching her face intently.

"Booth…" She whispered.

"Yes, Bones? Whatever it is, we will get through it together. We will."

"But what if you leave her like you left me?" She panicked, "What… what if she isn't good enough… like me?"

"How are you not good enough? The men you date… well they are not good enough for you but you are good enough" He ran his hands down her arms, "Damn Bones, you are more than good enough."

"You left me…"

"How did I leave you? I have always been here."

"When you came back from your mission… you broke off the engagement, saying you are unlovable." She slowly closed her eyes as the memories flashed back, "But I have seen you with other women… you can love them. Why not me?"

"I never said I couldn't… or didn't." He whispered against her back, "I just… you don't understand what I did over there. No one does. You don't know what that does to a man."

"But you left me! In every sense of the word, you moved all your belongings out of my apartment… our apartment and moved back to your old place. How is that not leaving? I know when someone leaves me Booth, I am practically a pro." She practically screamed in a light sob. "After all we have been through, you just… left. Without a real explanation or giving me the chance to make up my mind, you left me with no other option."

"Bones, you were the one who has been sleeping with other men. All I said was we needed a break… that I needed to think about some things."

"You were the one who declared yourself off limits. You were as professional as you could be but I lost my best friend, Booth. My. Best. Friend… and lover. What was I to do? I waited six years for you to even date me then six months into the relationship you have a mental break and push me away. A woman has needs. I spent the last two years I was single with only you in my life. Then you up and left… when I needed you the most," She lightly choked up, "When we needed you…"

"You always had me… sort of." He coughed, trying to keep his voice from wavering, "I was still there for you."

"Booth, that is bull and you know it. I had you as my partner sure but after you came back you were a different man. A man she could not see, she deserves so much better… a real man."

"Right after I came back you had instantly took a sabbatical. I didn't see you for almost a year, Bones. What is that supposed to mean?" Booth's voice dropped as he practically growled at her.

"I… I ran, okay? What else was I to do?" Her frantic high pitched voice wavered as she tried to catch her breath. "You left us alone… I couldn't do it alone. I… I just couldn't."

"You should have…" Booth's eyes went wide as the bouncer placed his hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see everyone's eyes on the partners and he instantly froze, "Never mind that. This is not the place to discuss this."

"Agreed." Brennan expelled a breath and blushed, looking up at the burly man glaring at them. They really had created a scene and she hadn't even told him her secret yet. "But Booth, we will discuss it… right? That is… if you still…. want to be my partner after this."

"Of course I want to be your partner and yes, we do need to discuss it but this is not the place." He lovingly ran his hands down her arms, trying to reassure her, "Now that we have that settled, who in the world is this she you keep mentioning?"

"Margret Abigail Brennan." Brennan briefly smiled, "She is sixteen months old. The doctors say she is excelling in all areas. They want her to…"

"You sure get into the aunt role real quick." Booth teased, chuckling. "How many does that make for Russ now?"

Brennan froze. How was she not clear enough? He was a father… again! Not Russ, him.

"She is not Russ' child." Brennan looked down, refusing to make eye contact. "She is mine… she is ours."

"Ours? You… I…"

"We did have unprotected sex, Booth." Brennan fidgeted, trying to release herself from his grasp but Booth held firmly to her body. "Frequently."

"Yes but that was… years ago."

"Two years, one month and five days ago." She finally looked up at him, tears begging to burst through, "The night she was conceived was the first night you made love to me, not just as your girlfriend but as a woman who you had planned on marrying… the woman you loved."

"Bones, I don't know what to say…" He finally released her and she stood in front of him, "I am not sure if I should be disappointed in myself for not noticing, upset at you from keeping my… daughter from me, sad that I missed all those precious moments with my baby girl or all of the above."

"I understand." She nodded slightly, "I will let you resume your alpha male activities." Brennan slipped a recent picture of their daughter and her at the park into his hands before turning and walking away.

"And Booth?" She asked just a few feet away, waiting until he looked up from the picture before she spoke, "If you decide you want to be involved in her life, you know where to find me. She would love to have an authoritarian father figure. She already loves you." Brennan smiled briefly before turning back and walking toward her car. "She is a daddy's girl."

The rest of the night Booth's eyes never left the picture he so delicately cradled in his hands. How had his perfect family gone so very, very wrong? And those bright blue orbs of hers… they healed the ache in his soul quicker then absolution ever could.


	6. An Intruder of the Heart

The light creak of Brennan's bedroom door sent her quickly out of her dream. Her body jerked up, silly grin planted on her face. It had seemed like just yesterday she had shared her bed with the man she loved but now as the cool sheets permeated her body, she slowly shivered.

She had hoped above hope that he would beat her to her apartment, declare his undying love and they would live happily ever after but hope was for romantics and Brennan was way too logical to fall for that line again. He had made his decision and she would have to live with it, even if she loved the man more than any logical rational told her she should.

"Angela I told you it was fine…" Brennan sat up, eyes attempting to focus on the shadowy figure before her. Her eyes quickly focused and she gasped, the figure was much too large to be Angela. "Freeze! I know karate and I will hurt you…"

Her body jerked forward and practically toppled onto the man who was staggering before her. Her hands grabbed the intruder's arms and almost instinctually they ran down his shoulders, tugging and teasing at the trim of his shirt.

"Honey, I'm home." Booth's cheesy grin went wide as he pulled her off the bed and into his arms. "What's for dinner?" He whispered into her ear and Brennan coughed as the pungent smell of stale beer filled her nostrils.

"Booth… do you even know what time it is?"

"Uh…" He glanced at the closed shades and shrugged, "Late."

"And you are where?"

"Home." He grinned, pulling her face down to his, "Want me to show you?"

The air caught in Brennan's throat as soft, warm air flooded in. His lips were mere millimeters from hers and as his tongue darted out to moisten his lips it lightly dragged across hers, bringing back memories she had long since suppressed. Without any hesitation she locked her lips on his, tugging and teasing him for answers she knew he was too drunk to provide. It had been years since she had ever kissed anyone remotely as passionately as she was currently. There was just something about him… that even though he was drunk she just craved him even more.

He was more than just the father of her child. He was the completion of her puzzle, the long last sought after missing piece. With him she could finally soar and reach limits otherwise unobtainable.

His hands ran over the very thin attire, boiling her blood from inside out. She just had to touch him. Just one touch and she knew she would be gone, lost in the eyes of heartbreak. She knew how wrong the situation was but it felt so right. Her hands slowly ran across his shirt then slipped under, running her hand over every well defined muscle almost from memory.

"Oh god Bones…" He growled, "You don't know what that does to me…"

She her eyes shot open as she quickly chastised herself and stood up, leaning against the bed frame.

"Now what did you do that for?" He sat up and frowned, "It was just getting to the good part."

"What did you come here for, Booth?" She tried to sound clinical but the panic in her tone was quite evident. She eyed the poor state of the man before her; he was in no shape to drive. They both knew it the second he walked into her bedroom.

"Can't we discuss that later?" He wiggled his eyes at her, "I am sure my body can do enough talking for both of us."

"That is what got us in this situation in the first place. Sex."

"You have to admit, Bones it was good… very good."

Her cheeks turned a bright red hue as she slightly turned into the shadows, trying to mask the infectious giggles that filled her being.

"Admit it… come on… admit it! Admit it!" He chanted, pumping his fists obnoxiously, "I will."

"Fine, fine. If it will stop this silly little game I will concede that it was very good sex…" She slowly walked toward the door, trying to get as far away from the source of her feelings as she could, "It was the best I have ever had." She slowly whispered as she reached the door.

"Where ya going?" He lunged at her, grabbing her ankles and halting her stride.

"I need to check on Maggie." She shook one foot free but he just clung to the other tighter, "She should be waking up soon for her juice."

"Oh." His voice sounded almost shattered, breaking the carefree mood of the room, "Okay."

"You want to see her, don't you?" Her words were more of a statement then a question and that slightly frightened him.

"I don't want to impose on your bonding time…" His voice had a hint of wistfulness.

"Booth, you're her father. She needs to bond with her father to have a fully functioning sense of self."

"So… what you're saying is I can come?"

"Correct." With a slight nod Brennan walked out of the room and down the hall, stopping at a door covered in flowers and pictures of microscopes.

"So this is it." Booth breathed in deep, walking quickly to catch up with her.

"Yep. You don't have to go in here if you don't feel comfortable."

"Bones…" He let out an exhausted sigh, "I have missed too much already. I cannot let my fears stop me from wasting another second with my daughter."

Brennan hesitated but soon pushed the door open, revealing a green painted room covered with flowers of all different sizes and shapes. She slowly stepped into the room and stood next to the child, not even causing the young child to stir. Her hands pulled a few stray hairs away, Maggie cooed and turned toward her mother, pacified with her just being in the room.

Booth watched this all unfold in awe, she was the epitome of the perfect mother. As the days turned into months, she had learned to be a full family unit rolled into one. Did he really have a use more then just a sperm donor?

"And you just stand here and watch her sleep?" He forced the words out, trying to break his slippery slope to self degradation.

"Yes. Until she wakes up then we get her juice together." Brennan beamed, pointing toward the child sized coaster on the side table.

Booth's eyes focused on the bed then they were quickly drawn to Brennan's soft, soothing movements. She seemed to practically float across the room and the glow that she radiated was like a beacon, drawing him to the serenity of her arms.

"You can come closer, Booth. She is a sound sleeper until around four then she shoots up demanding juice."

Booth took a hesitant step closer but stayed a foot away from the doorway. Hearing the footsteps stop, Brennan turned and extended a hand to her partner.

"She doesn't bite." She lightly giggled. "I promise."

Booth slunk into the room and toward his girls. Regret was weighing heavy on his heart and he knew he only had one chance to do this right. If he screwed up, he would never be able to face himself in the mirror. His feet quickly carried him until he was standing directly behind Brennan. As much as his mind fought it, his paternal instincts kicked in and forced him to face his child… his reality.

"Bones…" He gasped as he lightly trailed his hand down her short locks, "She looks like an angel." With a smile firmly implanted across his lips for the first time in months, Booth wrapped his arms tightly around the woman standing before him. He lightly pulled her back until their bodies were flush before leaning down and resting his head on her shoulder.

"Thank you."


	7. Just Let Her Love You

"So… that is it?" Booth blinked as his daughter quickly went back to sleep without a fight. "She just… sleeps? No need for a thousand stories or glasses of water?"

"Booth, she just had juice." Brennan turned back toward her partner as she pulled the blanket up to her daughter's chin, "Why would she want water?"

"Never mind, Bones." Booth stole another glance of his daughter before stepping into the hallway and out of Brennan's way.

She walked quickly toward her bedroom, without saying another word to him. Suddenly she stopped abruptly in the doorway; she could feel his eyes beating down on her.

"Booth, what is it?" She hissed, clenching the frame to relief the tension of the onslaught of words she knew where coming. Even though it had been years since the partners were close, she still knew him better than anyone and one thing had not changed: he refused to drive drunk.

"I just thought…" He fumbled, suddenly ashamed at how far they had drifted apart. "You know what, Bones… I'll just see you tomorrow. That is… if you will let me take you and Maggie to breakfast…" He spoke with a growing void and sense of abandonment.

She heard his keys jingle then his slow, somber footsteps become increasingly quite. They both knew he was too intoxicated to drive. He barely had enough strength to get Maggie's sippy cup, the man was not only very, very drunk but the self loathing that had settled deep within only spelled disaster.

"Booth… stop." She turned sharply, out turning her hand toward him, "You are in no shape to drive. Give me your keys."

"I was just thinking… uh… I could sleep in my car."

"Don't be ridiculous. We have shared a bed before when we were just partners, I am sure we can share an apartment for the night." The words slowly faded as the torture of her words broke through.

"But Bones… I don't want to impose."

"My daughter… our daughter… Maggie needs a father so you getting in a car accident because of your intoxication is not being a father. She needs you, not some vegetable because you made some stupid mistake."

"You sure? I mean I could always take a cab…"

"Booth, you're not going anywhere. You are staying here and making us breakfast in the morning." She spoke with almost giddy. She leaned forward, pulling the keys from his grasp, "There are any necessities you might need in the hall closet."

"Thanks Bones." Booth beamed, pulling her into a tight embrace before walking into the hall closet, "Some things never change, baby." He grinned; everything was just where he had remembered it. "I didn't know you got knew towels. I like 'em."

Brennan slowly slipped into her very cold sheets, ignoring her desire to run out into the living room and be with the man she loved. Somehow they seemed cooler than they were previously that night. Clenching her eyes closed she attempted to force her body to sleep but it was futile. Her body practically burned where their skin had made contact. 'Baby' the word reverberated in her mind. She had waited two years to hear that word flowing from his lips and if she had to wait another two to hear it again, the peace it brought her shattered heart was worth it.

Brennan rolled over for what felt like the hundredth time in the last hour, glaring at the red blinking numbers before her. 5:36 a.m. Ever since Maggie was born; Brennan no longer kept those night owl hours and arrived at the Jeffersonian at a respectable 7:30 every morning. A gagging sound sent her out of her glaring contest with the alarm clock and down the hall.

"Booth… Booth…" She lightly pushed the bathroom door open to find her partner sitting in a fetal position on the tile, "Are you okay?"

He slowly nodded but the fear and panic in his eyes spoke of a much deeper problem. Instinctively she ran to him, wrapping her arms tightly around him and pressing her lips to his forehead. She knew she shouldn't let herself get that close to a man that could cause so much damage but he was just too irresistible.

"Booth, you're burning up." She released him and they shivered in unison, "Do you feel sick?"

"No… I… I don't." His teeth chattered, "It is the beer." He looked up at her, trying to make both of them believe his lie.

"Seeley Joseph Booth." She glared, "Do you not think I can tell when you're lying?"

"A man can try." He grinned from ear to ear, "I don't have a cold…" He confessed, "I just… I think I made a mistake."

"What kind of mistake?"

His eyes slowly rolled up toward his partner, fear and sorrow with a light hint of 'don't ask' flickered over them before they came crashing down. She reached her hand out toward him, rubbing light circles on his back while trying to soothe away any demons. He tensed at her touch but finally gave in. Without notice Booth stood and walked toward the bathroom door.

"I need to go back to bed." He smiled sweetly at her, running his hand over her shoulder, "Thanks."

"Booth…" She spoke softly, "you don't have to sleep on the couch, especially if you are sick." She looked up and smiled, "I am sure we can share a bed. We have in the past without any qualms."

As the words flowed from her lips, her rational mind knew the mistake she had made but with her heart in overdrive there was no turning back. She wanted him, she needed him and if that meant doing something she would later regret it was a risk that Brennan would have to take.

The partners walked side by side toward the bedroom they once shared. Upon reaching the doorway Booth slipped his hand in hers, lifting it toward his lips and placing a delicate kiss on her palm.

"Thanks for all you have done, Bones. Just… thanks." He smiled as they broke apart.

They slipped into opposite sides of their bed, just as they had when they were a couple. Each instinctively turned to the other before turning away quickly. Silence filled the large bedroom and Brennan was sure Booth was fast asleep before turning toward him and staring at the man in her bed. She could feel the heat radiating off his body and his scent washed over her calmly. She reached out her hand to touch him but quickly retracted it as he rolled toward her. She turned on her back and stared at the ceiling, just as she had done the week he was gone, hoping beyond hope they could go back to who they were before that fateful trip.

"Bones, I… I think the government lied." She heard the words flow from the other side of the bed followed by a light sob. "I know you're asleep and I am a pretty big chicken for not telling you while you're awake but I just wanted you to know, the way we ended things was not your fault. I was a mess and didn't know anything, I had the perfect woman and I… I just couldn't accept your love knowing my life is based on a lie. So I took the easy way out and ran before you could see the mess I had become. I love you Bones, I always have."

His hand trailed down her arm before linking their fingers together.

"I hope one day you can forgive me…" He pressed his lips to her forehead and a single stray tear dripped down, mingling with her own. His body quickly cling to hers, knowing she was the only one who could ever make him believe in himself once more. "More than anything I want you to be my wife. You're my life Bones, I was stupid to think I could survive without you. I just hope it isn't too late." He mumbled before drawing her body closer to hers.

Brennan closed her eyes, letting the tears well up and slowly leak down her checks. She had cursed him for years about the way he just abandoned her but she should have known better, Seeley Booth was not one to break promises. All her anger had left her heart that night; replaced by an unwavering devotion to the man she never could get enough of.

And that night, was the start of something magical…


	8. Dog Tags

"Booth…" Brennan whispered, placing her hand on her partner's naked chest. "Psst… Booth…"

"Yes Bones?" Booth yawned, still half asleep, "What is it?"

"Can we… talk?" She meekly asked, unsure of his response. "I just… we just…"

"Yeah, sure. Anytime. I always have time for you." He groggily smiled.

"Okay, well… um…" Brennan adjusted herself in his arms, "I am not sure how to start this so…"

"Wait… you wanted to talk now?" His eyes shot open, staring at the frightened woman before him.

"Why would I ask you to talk if I didn't feel the need to have a discussion now? If I wanted to have a discussion with you at a later date I would ask you then. If you…"

"Okay, okay. I get it Bones. You want to talk." Booth shirred slightly, pulling back but keeping his partner in his arms. "But can I do something first?"

"Booth, you don't need to prepare for a discussion you do not know what it is about." Brennan whined, unsure why the man that had been holding her tightly for the last hour suddenly felt the need to be distant. Maybe the alcohol had worn off and he realized the mistake he was making… Brennan began to slightly panic but the soothing thumb strokes on her back quickly calmed her.

"Yes but Bones…" He leaned into her shoulder, "I need to pee."

"Oh, yes… yes…" Brennan blushed, "Of course you may take care of those… personal needs."

"Good that you agree." Booth smiled, releasing his partner and quickly walking toward the bathroom.

As soon as her partner left the bed Brennan was freezing. She glanced down at her attire and sighed; it certainly didn't scream or even whisper sexy. Sure her shorts might have been a little too short for public but he wasn't the public, he was Booth… the love of her life and if she was going to do this right she knew what she needed to do. Slowly she slipped out of her bed and made her way toward her dresser.

Opening the left drawer she thumbed through the contents, reaching the bottom of the drawer she pulled the item out and smiled. She may have had a child since she had last worn it but his reaction would be worth it not fitting as it once did. Within a matter of moments her bright pink shorts were laying in her hamper and the blue basketball shorts hung low on her waist.

Now came the hard part. Temperance Brennan was not a woman that normally wore a shirt to bed when she had male company over. This was something Booth had become very accustom to. She also knew the last time she had been with this man he had impregnated her and two children under three as a single parent was not on Brennan's list of priorities or any list at all.

Mulling over her options, Brennan smiled as she spotted a faded blue FBI shirt tucked in the back of the drawer. As soon as she pulled her shirt off and tossed it in the hamper the door creaked open. Crap.

"Why aren't you in bed, Bones?" Booth's eyes were drawn to the hamper beside him; their scents mixed deliciously bringing back memories he had long since suppressed.

"I uh… I needed too…" She froze, unsure if she wanted him to see her naked.

"Oh…." He affixed his gaze on her feet, lost in memories of what was done in the bed just a few feet away.

"Bones… you were not wearing that when I went in here…" Booth hitched a thumb behind him, his eyes running up his partner and stopping at her very revealing stomach, "And you definitely had more clothes on…" He moaned, knowing if his eyes moved up any further the reality of the situation would sink in.

His partner, the woman who he had craved for the last ten years, was standing before him half naked and for a man who hadn't even had more than a friendly hug in eighteen months that was tempting fate… hell that was burning fate to the ground and stomping on it.

"Bones…" His voice wavered, "You… you might want to put clothes on." His eyes snapped shut.

"It is not my fault your bathroom habits have taken sustainably less time." Brennan said defensively, slipping the shirt on. "And I refuse to talk to you while your eyes are closed. That is just rude." Brennan rolled her eyes, taking her partner's hands, pulling him toward the bed and shoving him down.

"You better not be doing what I think you are…" A sneaky grin escaped his lips as she stood between his legs, his hands running up her hips and sides, "Damn. Can I take back your clothing request?"

"No. Now open up." She demanded, holding his shoulders down.

"Oh I like when you talk dirty to me…" He growled, knowing he was soon going to get in trouble but he couldn't help himself.

"Your eyes, Booth. Open your eyes… now." She practically barked and he readily compiled.

To his surprise his partner was not glaring but rather had a sultry smiled firmly planted across her face.

"Before we talk… I just want to say you look hot… more than hot, you're flaming Bones. Sexy to the tenth degree." He smiled, running his hands over her clothing.

"That will not get you in bed any quicker, Booth." Brennan nodded.

"Damn. So that means there is a possibility for sex… tonight?" He wiggled his eyes at her.

"Booth…" She tapped him on the noise, "I'll think about it." She winked.

His eyes closed hard as the thoughts filled his mind and his body reacted.

"Bones, you cannot say things like that and expect me to pay attention to what you are saying. I may be genuinely interested but I am still a man. A man that well… I want you… badly."

"That is nice to know." She smiled but soon faltered as nerves began to fill her, "Maybe we shouldn't…"

"Bones, if you felt the need to wake me up at…" He looked over at the clock, "6:03 then it is important to you. If it is important to you then it is important to me so please, just tell me."

Brennan exhaled deeply before reaching in her shirt and pulling out the dog tags.

"Booth…" Her voice was weak and raw, "Do these mean anything to you anymore?"

"Why would they not mean anything…" He looked up to see her eyes begin to water, "Ohhh. So you weren't asleep?"

Brennan froze. Was it lying if she just didn't respond? It wasn't like she wanted to hurt him, she just had nothing to say.

"I… I…"

"It's okay Bones."

"I just wanted you to be comfortable" She blurted out, "and if you did not feel comfortable with our relationship to tell me in person then I accept that."

"But I did tell you in person." He teased, pulling her toward him. She lightly resisted but the smile on his face showed no resentment so she readily accepted his comfort.

"So… do they?" She dropped the dog tags, focusing on the floor, "If they don't, I understand and I will…"

"Just because my faith in the place I acquired them is shaken does not mean the reason I gave them to you is any less valid. Do you remember why I gave them to you?"

"You said that it they once held all you deemed your life was worth and that when you gave them to me, I now deemed what your life was worth."

"Yes I did. It is still true by the way." He nervously admitted, "You still do deem what my life is worth and that is why my life fell apart without you by my side."

"But Booth I always…"

"I mean as my fiancé and wife. Left to my own devices I became a jerk." He cradled the tags in his hand, "I can't believe you kept these after all these years." He rubbed his thumb over the etching, catching the ring on his thumb. He knew in that moment without a doubt, she still loved him.

"Why wouldn't I have? Abandoning these dog tags would equate to abandoning Mag and I could never do that. They are both part of you."

"Bones, you're so cute sometimes." He leaned in to kiss her, caught in the moment Brennan greedily lunged at him and caught his lips before he had a chance to react.

"Oh man, I missed that so much." He growled into her mouth, "You have no idea how much I missed you." Brennan moaned into his mouth and Booth lunged back, determined if he was going to do this with her he was going to do it the right way.

"But Booth…" Brennan whined, leaning into him.

"Bones, Bones. Look at me." He demanded, pulling her chin with his hand.

"Yes?" Her eyes slowly shut then opened contently.

"This cannot be just a fling between us because we both want each other." He locked his eyes with her, "We have to really try to make it work, not just for us but for the girl in the other room." He hitched his thumb toward the door, "She deserves a complete family not just two parents that get together for their needs. This is all or nothing, Bones."

Brennan eagerly smiled, placing her hands in his.

"When has it ever been less then that with us?"

"True." He smiled, placing a stray hair behind her ear, "So you all in or not?"

With the first genuine smile in her bedroom in years, Brennan leaned onto her partner pushing him down onto the bed with her weight.

"You ready for me, Seeley?" She purred, crawling over him and placing a single kiss on his lips before leaning back on her arms, "So you think your man enough?"

"Oh baby," He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down to him, "You know it."

With an almost innocent smile, Booth rolled them over onto his side of the bed. Pinning her down with an open palm he slowly unbuttoned his shirt, keeping his body out of reach but when her eyes went wide he finally relented and leaned down.

"Oh that won't do." Brennan smiled, tugging at the buttons and throwing the shirt against the wall with a loud thud.

"Someone likes me shirtless?" He leaned up, giving her a better view.

"You have no idea." She ran her hands down his chiseled chest, "No idea."

"Now that I have you under my control with my sexual prowess…" He trailed his hand under the fray of her shorts. "About your comment about sex earlier… what am I going to have to do to convince you otherwise?"

"But what if Maggie wakes up…" Brennan giggled like a schoolgirl, greedily accepting whatever her partner dished out. Her body almost hurt in anticipation.

"Oh I am sure I can make sure I am silent." He sucked on her neck, drawing a growl from deep within Brennan. "You on the other hand… we might have a problem."

"But Booth…" Her voice trailed off, "Oh god… I missed this… so damn much."

Her eyes slammed shut as his hands ran up her body and under her shirt. They stopped on her stomach and Booth pulled back.

"Bones, do you really want to do this?" His words jerked her back to reality.

Brennan opened her eyes and narrowed them at her partner. He couldn't possibly have stopped… not if he knew what was good for him, especially after he created the storm raging down to her core.

"The sex?" She spat, trying to keep herself from yelling when she knew he was doing what he thought was best even if her body was rebelling his decision.

"Uh… um… I guess yeah."

"Oh god yes, now please if you know what is good for you… continue." She wrapped her hands around his waist and pulled him flush with her.

"If that isn't a clear answer, I don't know what is." He smiled and she slowly ground her hips into his.

"How about me naked?" She slowly lifted her shirt, "Is that enough of an answer for you?"

"I am sure we could arrange that." He placed his hands on hers, helping her push the fabric up. In his eyes she could not get it off quick enough.

A coo came trailing down the hall and both sets of eyes were drawn to the door. They knew their night of passionate love making would have to take a backseat to the child demanding their attention.

"Shit." Brennan muttered under her breath, pushing her shirt back down and leaning forward but Booth just pushed her back down.

"Bones, you stay." He smiled, releasing his grip, "I'll take care of it. She is my baby girl after all."

Brennan nodded slightly and watched as her partner walked toward the door; as soon as he hit the hallway he turned back to her and smiled.

"Hey sexy," He beamed when she looked up, "You better be ready for me to rock your world when I come back."

Brennan nodded and contently yawned as soon as he turned around. Maybe she could just take a short nap while he looked after their daughter. It sure was nice to have someone else get up in the middle of the night for a change. She could get used to this.


	9. Maggie Bear Makes Three

The coos could be heard down the hall and as he approached Booth could tell it sounded more like a grunt then her verbalizing. Panic fluttered through his veins as he practically ran toward the door and pushed it open. He slowly walked into his daughter's room to find her standing against her crib railing, trying to reach the lock. The scattered toys on the floor that were once the nightstand and the mounded up blanket she was using as a ladder made it evident she had been attempting her escape for a while. Only Temperance Brennan's child would use a mundane object such as a blanket as a ladder. Brennan women are always running and Maggie was no exception. He would need duct tape... lots of duct tape.

"Just like her mother," He beamed. His deep voice suddenly startled Maggie and she looked up at her father with pure innocence. With a brief smile Booth reassured her she was caught red handed. Admitting defeat Maggie plopped down against the mattress and looked away, pretending not see her father.

"Oh no Mags, you've been caught." He laughed as her eyes slowly closed and her head rested against the bars. "But I won't tell mommy if you won't."

Maggie's eyes shot open and she beamed widely. They were partners in crime. She knew she would always love her father after all the stories her mother told her of him, but the man standing before her was not what she imagined. He oozed love and pure devotion and with that smile that mimicked hers, she loved her father more than any toddler could have.

Reaching the crib, Booth picked up his daughter and instantly she clung to him. Her ivory skin blended with his much darker hue perfectly, a constant reminder she was Temperance Brennan's daughter. Her small little fingers cling to his chest as tightly as they could, leaving marks on his skin as she forced herself to be one with him. She had spent her whole life without her father and she was refusing to let that missing piece leave her once more.

"You seem to like me better now that I am your accomplish don't you?" He chuckled, pressing the child to his body. "Or is it just that you don't want me to tell mommy?"

Maggie cooed and smiled, nestling herself into her father's chest before drifting back to sleep. Booth placed a kiss on the top of his daughter's head he started to walk toward the hallway. As soon as they made it to the doorframe Maggie began to stir. She thrashed against his body, trying to squirm out of his grasp.

"Oh Maggie bear don't be like that…" Booth brushed his hand across her delicate arm, "You're going to make mommy upset. And we both don't want that now do we?"

Maggie was silent for a few seconds before her protesting started up again. The squirming became practically frantic as they made it down the hallway.

"Fine Mags, we'll go back." Booth turned and walked back into her bedroom. Sitting on the floor he let Maggie down. She walked toward her crib and grabbed an item before walking back toward her father. She placed the item in his lap then looked up at him expectantly.

"What's this?" He looked down at the fabric in his hands then back at his daughter. She just crawled closer to her father, resting her head on his leg as her eyes bore into him. He picked up the shirt and smiled at the big yellow 'FBI' letters written across the top. "So this is what all the fuss was about? This was my shirt, you know. You have the real deal now, Maggie, not this cheap imitation."

Maggie crawled into her father's lap, waiting to be picked up once more. Booth draped the shirt over his shoulder and picked up his daughter, making sure to walk slowly out of the room to incase of another incident. He cradled Maggie's silent frame against the shirt as they walked into the bedroom.

The mumbled snoring of a one Temperance Brennan could be heard as soon as he made it took the door. She looked as though she had fallen asleep the second he had left the room.

"Looks like mommy fell asleep Mag." Booth spoke as he slowly walked into the bedroom. Propping Maggie up against his hip, he leaned down and pulled up the blankets to Brennan's chin. Before walking out of the room, Booth placed a kiss delicately on Brennan's forehead causing Brennan to smile and roll toward him in her sleep. His smile increased as he cherished the few moments he watched her sleep. She would never admit it but Temperance Brennan was a very affectionate woman when she was asleep and it was one of the most endearing things about her to him.

As he walked back into the hallway, Booth secured Maggie's spot against his heart which she took to without hesitation. His heartbeat calmed her in a way that no one else had been able to. Maggie was never a really fussy child but in her father's arms nothing but happiness radiated from her small form.

"Now what do we do, Maggie?" He looked down at the child for answers. His eyes were drawn to the clock sitting on the bookshelf behind his daughter. It was just before six and Brennan would be waking soon. He did promise her breakfast… "How about some grub?"

Maggie just nuzzled her body into his, securing her place in his heart. Upon entering the kitchen Booth scanned the room to find the high chair sitting on the opposite of the kitchen table next to Brennan's seat and smiled, some things never changed. As he tried to place her in her highchair she began to squirm.

"Come on Mag…" He tired to remove Maggie but her nails just dig into his skin deeper. "I will only be a few feet away. Maggie bear… please…" He pleaded with the child. Her eyes flicked up at her father then down at the highchair. "I'll never leave you again." His voice was calming and assuring as her fingers finally slipped from his skin. "I promise. I love you."

As the soothing words flowed from his lips Maggie reluctantly let go of her father and slipped into the highchair with little fuss. Her eyes watched as the man before her went from cupboard to cupboard with a determined stride to his step. She wasn't sure what was drawing her to him but the way his body swayed in the soft light of the room glued her eyes to him. She had often watched her mother get ready in the morning but just the presence of her father in the kitchen was much different, he seemed to just flow from spot to spot.

"It's gotta be in here somewhere." He growled, opening the last cupboard with a thud. His fingers walked over the boxes until he found the one he had been searching for. He pulled out two long sticks and placed them before his daughter.

"Come on Mags, eat up." He smiled, pushing the two sugary sticks towards her. Maggie looked down at the crackers and up at her father, unsure of what to do. "They're good." He picked up a gram cracker and bit into it before placing it in her outstretched hand.

Maggie took the small cracker in her fist and without hesitation crammed it in her mouth and chewed. The sugar and cinnamon crusted around her lips as Maggie looked up at her father and smiled widely in approval.

"Now to make mommy and I something to eat." Booth turned from the highchair, pulling a skillet from the hook and placing into on stove. In a bowl he mix his ingredients and poured them into the hot skillet, knowing this could wake Brennan from the dead.

"Morning sleepyhead." Booth turned from the skillet before him and smiled at his partner, "Maggie's just..." His eyes were drawn to the snoring child grasping her last gram cracker, "asleep."

"I can see that." Brennan beamed, walking toward her partner, "I can also see you got her to eat those gram crackers."

"Park loved them when he was young." Booth felt Brennan's breath on his back and his body stiffened in response to her hands squirming over his chest. "it's a Booth thing."

"She refused to eat them until now. I guess her daddy does have some tricks I should know…" Brennan seductively whispered into his neck, "What are you making? It smells really good…" She wrapped her arms just under the waistband of his boxers and looked over his shoulder, "Oh… is that what I think it is?"

"Do you think it is special blueberry chocolate chip pancakes?" His voice shook as he felt her hot lips on his neck, "Ohh…. That's going to leave a mark." He growled as he steadied his body, hoping he didn't collapse onto the hot coils.

Smiling, Brennan wrapped her arms tighter running them up and down his chest and inhaling the familiar scent she had come accustomed to for years. Her body tensed then eased as she slipped into girlfriend mood without hesitation. Her mind knew they had a long road ahead of them but her body screamed for him. Two years was much too long. She just had to have him… now.

"I wasn't talking about the pancakes." She purred, trailing her tongue down his back, making sure to etch out every defined muscle.

"But what about Maggie?" His voice squeaked. She couldn't be doing what he thought she was… especially in front of their daughter. She had to have lost her mind.

"What about her? She's asleep…" She whispered as she twirled him to face her, "she sleeps like a rock. We have at least an hour."

"You naughty, naughty little girl." He captured her lips with his, making sure to claim her in every way his body knew how, "An hour? Oh I am going to need more than an hour…"

Brennan's eyes rolled closed as he lifted her onto his hips and carried her into the bedroom. It was a good thing Angela was on speed dial; today they were going to need it. Repeatedly.


	10. Caught Red Handed

A/N: Not much in the way of plot development but a short, fun chapter none the less. My first shot at anything really fluffy and I partied too much last night so please be gentle.

***

"We really shouldn't be doing this." Brennan giggled as her legs released their grip and her ivory skin hit her fluffy blue comforter.

"We don't have to…" Booth attempted to step back but as her legs wrapped around him he flung forward, his face landing squarely on her chest, "Or I could just lay here. A man could get used this view."

"I never said I didn't want to…" She smiled, as she pulled his chin flush with her chest, "You do want to do this… don't you?"

"I'm a man, Bones." He breathed into her skin, causing her to shiver, "You're hot, I'm horny… well hot damn, you're so… sexy…" His tongue darted out of his mouth, faintly brushing her salty skin, "so… god… hot…"

"You already established my attractiveness." Her voice wavered as she squirmed to push his body up, breaking free from the strangle hold his tongue had over her. With each pass of his tongue, Brennan felt her willpower slowly slip away. It wasn't that she wanted to be the dominate one, with him she just didn't care but the way he teased her so deliriously was reeking havoc with her logical brain. He never was a selfish lover, unlike a certain FBI agent. But the way her body craved his, he seemed to give her all she needed without asking and that scared the living daylights out of her.

"It bears repeating." He growled, trying to break free from her open palms. "Come on Bones…" He ground his pelvic bone into hers, forcing a groan from her plump lips. "… don't be like that."

"You didn't say please." She smiled sweetly as she racked her teeth against his shoulder, "Do you think you deserve it?"

With an unnerving growl Booth broke one arm free and trailed his hand down her side, reaching as far as his arm would go.

"Oh, you know I deserve it." He walked his hand up her leg, wrapping his hand tightly around her waist.

"Do I?" She faintly whispered, at the rough marks his nails were making against her skin.

"You know I love you, don't you?"

For a brief moment Brennan hesitated. Sure at one time she knew he loved her but the man before he was a completely different man. This man left, without notice and provocation. Breaking a promise she had once held above all else. Seeing the doubt flash before her eyes, Booth dropped his head on her shoulder breathing in the scent he had come to not be able to live without.

"What would you say if I told you I had never made love to another?"

"Doubtful." She hissed, attempting to squirm as his lips dropped delicate kisses along her shoulder, "You are a man of many sexual conquests." She tried to speak in her most scientific tone but the hitch in her voice told a different story, she was lost in the way his body moved against hers.

"It's true." He spoke against her skin, swirling it against his lips before releasing, "The little girl in the other room is proof of that. We are proof of that. Our relationship defies all odds. We are complete opposites yet I wouldn't change it for the world. I couldn't. You're it for me Temperance, my one and only."

The seriousness of his words hit Brennan like a tidal wave, causing her body to shake under his.

"I… I didn't mean to scare you." He slightly lifted to see a grin firmly planted on her face.

Brennan's face fell as she watched his demeanor shift. They were walking on eggshells and they both knew that, Booth apparently more scared of it then she was.

"You didn't." She whispered, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pulling him onto her, "Want me to show you?"

"Bren… I'm back…" Angela's cheery voice could be heard barring down the hall followed by the loud slam of the door.

"Shit."

"Fuck."

Angela's heels clicked against the hardwood floor and both partners froze. This was not the way either of them wanted the biggest gossip in the Jeffersonian to find out about their new status. Naked, in bed an clearly engaging in more than partner activities.

"I got this." Booth whispered, pushing his body down and the covers up to her chin just as Angela turned the corner into the room.

"Bren… you got enough blankets there? You can pay to turn up the heat, ya know." Angela teased, thrusting her hand down onto the mass.

"Omph." A male voice groaned.

Angela's eyes went wide as she took a step back, the sudden realization of whose voice that was hit her like a ton of bricks.

"That didn't sound like a normal blanket to me…" Her checks took on a reddish hue, "It sounded like a manly blanket… a husky, FBI agent blanket…"

"It just happens…" Brennan's words fell flat, unable to focus on anything but her partner's tongue dancing up her body.

With a large slap to the blanket, the mound under the blanket jumped then fell abruptly.

"Angela! I was busy!" The mound growled, "I have to make up for lost time."

"Actually Booth," Brennan smiled, "that was me."

"But Bones you were enjoying it…" Booth whined, "I know you were…"

"You know what? On second thought… I think I am going to be outside… in the hallway… singing to myself… out loud… very, very loudly." Angela practically ran out of the room.

"Good. Now that's she's gone I can finished what I started." Booth evilly laughed, crawling up Brennan's body.

"Booth!" Brennan shrilled, "Angela's just down the…" Her words suddenly stopped as he wrapped his lips around hers. It was pointless in fighting. Booth was a very stubborn man and he wanted to be in her. He had made it very clear. What was the point in fighting the inevitable?

And maybe just a teeny tiny bit, she wanted it too.


	11. A Family in the Waiting

Wrapping herself tightly in a bright blue towel, Brennan slowly strolled down the hall toward the kitchen. Her body tensed as her stride increased; surely they were not loud enough to cause any lasting traumatizing affects toward their young child... she hoped. Bloody hell, who did she care… it was long overdue and damn well, she was going to enjoy the way his body fit hers so perfectly. She _deserved_ it.

"Took you long enough." Angela eyed her, smug smile on her lips as Brennan's lax motions practically screamed mind blowing sex. "I was about to just take Mag to the park, you two really need to soundproof that room."

"Well…" She grinned, "We were occupied."

"Getting reacquainted after all these years?"

"You could say so." She grinned, "Not that it took that much to remember how he… mmmm…" Brennan trailed off, unable to keep the giggle out of her voice. He was that damn good, turning the great Temperance Brennan speechless.

"Oh I can tell. Bren… you smell of sex!" Angela held her noise and laughed, "You might want to take care of that. You uh… oh speak of the devil." She laughed eyeing the man strolling down the hall in just his boxer shorts with trail of steam in his wake.

"What?" He meekly asked, wrapping his arms around his partner and smiling, "What did I miss?"

"Bren… she smells."

"Angela! Don't say that about her" He shrieked as he leaned in to pull his partner closer to his form. "but babe… you really do."

Brennan lightly whimpered, unable to keep the sorrow from her features.

"But Booth that is all your doing." She purred, "Don't you enjoy the fact that your pheromones are imbedded in my skin?"

"That is one thing I do enjoy very much" He smiled, running his hands in the towel and down her sides. "You know that all too well, baby." He grinned, sucking on her neck so deliciously.

"None of that! She is right here!" Angela screamed, practically mortified but slightly amused.

"What?" Brennan moaned, instantly feeling light headed at his delicate tongue motions.

"Baby. Sex. Formative memories. Oh God." With a thump Angela's head made contact with the table and bringing Booth out of stupor.

His teeth lightly grazed her skin as he turned her and practically shoved her down the hall.

"Angela is right." He eyed her once more, watching her slowly slink away. "You cannot go out in public smelling like that."

"Seeley…" Brennan breathily whispered.

"Shower now and tonight… damn Bones it will be fucktastic."

As soon as Brennan was out of their sight Booth slumped down in the chair next to Angela, unable to keep the smug smile from penetrating his being.

"So that's it?" She narrowed her eyes at the barely clothed man, "All it took?"

"All what took?" His eyes slowly opened, trying to keep his mind from reverting back to the x-rated images fluttering through his mind.

"You two. She tells you that you have a kid then out of the blue you two are hitting the sheets, trying to pop out another. Are you two even dating?"

"We're working on it."

"No, Booth." She glared, "The years you spent dancing around each other because you two were being chicken shits… that was working on your relationship. This… this is just plain silly. She is the mother of your child and the woman you love; there is no working to do. Marry her."

"I cannot take away what I have done over the years Angela." He shifted and his tone instantly became serious, "I fucked up… big time. What if she won't take me back?"

"And this is what? You two are fucking like there is no tomorrow. You don't know how hard that is for her. You practically destroyed her. I am shocked she held on as long as she did."

"Held on…?" His voice had a hint of panic, surely she hadn't thought of aborting their daughter. She was perfection in his eyes and he knew, just knew she would do great things.

"After you left she barely had the ability to work without breaking down in a cold sweat every few hours. Cam had to limit her time at the Jef to the point she was mostly working at home. Then when you came back… that chaos… it practically broke her. For the first two months after Mags was born, she stayed with Jack and I because she had worried herself to the point she just knew she couldn't handle it. She couldn't handle it without you. The constant reminder that she had failed you… failed both of you, that she was never good enough."

"I am sure everyone at the Jeffersonian would have helped her if she would have just asked." He faintly jerked back against the seat, his mouth gone dry. How could she think she was not good enough? He was the one who would never be good enough.

"No, Booth… you don't get it…"

"They love her there!" He defensively barked, "They better!" He mumbled, anyone who didn't think she was heaven on earth… they would have to deal with the wrath Seeley Booth and that look could practically kill.

"Oh, yes they do but the thing is… they don't know."

"Know what? About us? I assumed she hadn't told anyone."

"No… about Maggie. Only Jack, Max and I know. We were sworn to secrecy. Maggie has been her deep dark secret for years. And because of that she spends most of her nights alone with Maggie; afraid of what everyone will think when they realize a daughter was not enough to keep you from leaving her just like everyone else in her life has."

"Oh." He rasped out, letting a few tears betray his will and slowly fall down.

"Yeah, oh."

"I bet she would look stunning in white." He wistfully smiled, "Absolutely radiating."

"Yeah she would but…"

"I know Angela," He interrupted, locking his gaze with hers, "She will. If it takes my dying breath, I will marry that woman one day. She will be mine in every damn way, she has to be. She is my purpose. They are my life."

"You better." She bitterly spit.

"And Angela?" He meekly asked, rubbing his thumb delicately over his ring finger.

"Yes Booth?"

"Do you think Max will say yes? I mean when the time comes… will he let me marry his daughter?"

"You already know the answer to that, Booth." She smiled, lightly slugging his arm to defuse the situation.

"Good. She is going to look fucking amazing." He smiled back at Angela, "Amazing."

"Who?" Brennan's voice cracked, wrapping her arms around her partner.

"Nothing, babe." Booth's head fell back against her chest and he smiled, "It is a beautiful day outside. Why don't we take Mags to the park that is if you don't mind Angela?" He turned to her and smiled.

"Oh, no. It is fine. Jack is probably wondering where I am by now." She smiled; slowly backing up until her back hit the door. Her eyes watched as the two partners seemed to fall back into their own world, just as nothing had ever happened. With a tight smile, she shut the door behind herself knowing deep down those two were going to be just fine.


	12. It All Starts With a Glimmer

_Note: I know this is short but I had finals all day then watched a hockey game for three hours. There will be more to this soon, I promise, but for now enjoy my brief stroke of insanity. I broke and wrote something fluffy… AHHH!_

_

* * *

_

Watching his daughter's eyes twinkle in the afternoon sun, Booth's smiles seemed tug at his dormant heartstrings. Over the last twenty four hours, his heart had gone from barely beating to trying to beat out of his chest. He now knew his heart had never left D.C., it was bundled up and kept safe by a small ball of energy that seemed to hold all the answers his life had lacked.

She was the answer to the thousands of questions swirling around his head. She was it.

He wasn't sure when it had all fell into place but in that exact moment he knew this was the life. The woman he loved more than life itself and the product of that love, perfection for a man who had done the most unspeakable acts. His saving grace and redeeming love, for her he would do anything. If ever he had doubts, in that moment he knew there had to be a God. There just had to be, she was proof of it.

Even though he had made many mistakes in his life, this was something he could not mess up. The perfection that radiated from her small form was enough to end any war with just a smile. The way her bright blue orbs danced across his mind sent his heart into overdrive.

_My God, she's amazing._

His eyes slowly drifted toward the original source of his happiness. Without her none of this would have been possible and he would have died a bitter and lonely old soul. Once distant and cold, the woman standing before him was the epitome of love.

"Hey Bones." He called, forcing his partner to turn toward him with the same heart tugging smile dancing across her eyes.

He watched as her body shifted to face him, full attention on the man of her dreams. He could feel her eyes beating down on him but the firm, death grip she had on the cable links showed pure motherly devotion.

"I was wondering… well, curious really," He blushed; damn he was rusty… and nervous. Well as nervous as he was the last time he asked her on a date. She had said yes once before, she was bound to again… he hoped, "If you would like to go to dinner with me tonight. Just the two of us… you know… nice dinner and wine?" He fumbled, pushing the words out on an exacerbated sigh.

He gasped as her eyes darkened, years of pain and anguish slowly filtering through. In that instant he knew the exact amount of damage he had done. The once impenetrable force that was his partner, now lay shattered and broken before him. And he only had himself to blame. He was the only one able to cause such a great woman to shatter and he did, leaving her a daily reminder of the love they once shared.

"If you say no," He winced as the words started to flow, "I understand… I… I deserve it."

The once radiating smile all but drifted away, replaced by a frown and furrowed brow. Booth just sat in awe, unsure of whether to run or stay. The compassion she was showing was downright petrifying. What she saw in him, he wasn't sure but it damn as hell meant the world to her.

"Why would you believe that absurdity?" She faintly whispered, pulling Maggie up from the swing and walking toward the picnic table, "Booth, you are worth happiness… you are… you really are."

"I… I just thought…" His head dropped, unable to verbalize all the wrongs he had committed. "maybe after all I did… that you didn't…" He trailed off on a choking sob.

"No, Booth." She growled adamantly, "You do. If anyone deserves to be loved, it is you."

His eyes slowly drifted up, unable to keep the tight smile from forming on his lips. Had she just admitted, that after all these years she still loved him?

"Thanks Bones." He beamed, reaching his hand across the table and stroking her check lightly, "I am the man I am today because of you and because of a thousand reasons more, I love you. You have no idea how much… no idea…"

The giggle that escaped her lips was both mesmerizing and breath taking. It was always the small, barely noticeable things that caused him to fall more in love with her. In that moment he was drowning in pure devotion and love. And if it killed him, he would die a happy man.

"So about that date?" The words caught in his throat as the sound of his beating heart drowned out the world.

"I'd love to." Her smile was unmistakable as it slowly pushed through the mountain of giggles. She was in love.

_Hope_. That is all he needed to prove he was worth a second chance. And if it took a lifetime, he would make her believe in him once again, for he only believed in her.


	13. Even at Your Worst, There Will Be Love

For a confidant, compartmentalizing woman the nerves rattling through Temperance Brennan's veins came as no surprise. She had had her fair share of dates but this was different. Sure, if she would have thought about this rationally she would have easily concluded that the rationally of her fears were unfounded. He had proved repeatedly over the years that even at her worse he still found her sexually appealing but after the fifth straight twirl in front of the mirror she found the repulse growing stronger. How could he find her even remotely attractive? She was downright hideous.

Her hair wasn't straight enough, her tight black dress seemed to cling in all the wrong places and her make-up, don't get her started on that. She was a mess. She was more than a mass, she was petrified. This was supposed to be the start of something damn well amazing but her heart sank into her stomach as she twirled once more. Her mind shuffled through all the possible scenarios, positing the most likely in her frazzled state.

If she didn't look drop dead gorgeous he was going to run, run as far away as he possibly could. She knew it was more than slightly inconceivable but no one knew the growing fear residing behind those blue walls. He had left her once, what was there left to stop him from leaving her again? The last few days had been perfect, more than perfect… they were what dreams were made of. And if she lost that again, she didn't know what she was going to do with herself.

"It is just a date." She growled, trying to force herself to believe her worlds, "Yeah, a date with a man that means the world to me… a man who defies all logic and loves me when no one else could… a man who…"

"Baby, I'm back…" Booth called out after a swift knock on the front door, sending her out of her degraded state, "Ready?"

_Shit_. She was nowhere near ready. She had done nothing more then take a shower and slip into her fifth dress. Maggie wasn't ready… oh God, this was turning into the worst date she had ever had and during her college career she had made some awful choices. Even the date with the guy who took her to a strip club was better then this.

"Don't… don't come in." Her voice raddled as she tried to run into the bathroom.

"Bones, you okay?" Booth pushed the bedroom door open just in time to see Brennan slip and tumble, landing squarely on the mound of dresses up against the bathroom door.

At the sound of his footsteps Brennan closed her eyes and prepared her body for the verbal beating she was about to receive. Booth was a man dedicated to being punctual and for him that meant arriving ten minutes early. At this rate they were not going to make it out of the apartment in time to eat desert.

"Bones…" He soothed, running his hand over the slight red mark forming on her forehead, "Why did you have to go and mess up that beautiful skin?"

Her eyes flick up toward his hand, trying to process his tone. Between her desperation and his soft caresses, she was unable to process anything more than how good it felt. With every soft pass, he seemed to sweep away all her fears, leaving her in a calm yet nervous state.

"I… I'm sorry." She whispered, flinching at his touch, "I am sorry I am the source of all your problems."

'You're no- what?" His hand stopped as his eyes locked with hers, "What makes you think you have anything to do with my problems?"

"Well I just thought that since I am not ready and you enjoy being punctual, especially when you have made reservations." She began to ramble, "And I know that your relationship with your daughter is not wh-"

Leaning over her trembling body, Booth silenced her with ghost like kisses. Her eyes jerked open as soon as he stopped, his lips were inches from her own and she could feel his breath dance over her skin. He opened his mouth once more and Brennan instinctively closed her eyes only to have them flutter open at the sound of words rather than his lips on her skin.

"I do enjoy being on time but it is not the end of the world if we are late. All I care about is being with you; we could go to the burger joint down the street if that is what you wanted. All I want is good food and the company of the woman I love. Hell, with you I don't even care about the food. Any night with her would be amazing. Even if it involved rotting corpses." He added for emphasis, trying to break through her rational exterior. She smiled and he knew she was starting to unravel.

"What abo-" She started to speak but was stopped by his glare.

"No. Just no." He placed his finger over her lips as her mouth fell open, "I know what you are thinking and no, I don't regret the path we have taken to get here. Sure, I would have hoped that it would not have been so rocky but sitting here with you, I know I would do whatever it took to get where we are. I would have loved to be there for your pregnancy and all those precious firsts with Maggie but I am here now and I am not going anywhere. You are the mother of my child and more importantly the woman I cannot live without. Now does that answer all your questions or do I have to convince you with less conventional means?"

With a smile Brennan buried her face into his chest and sighed. Even at her worst he seemed to say all the right things and calm all her fears.

"Thank you."

"No need to thank me… yet." He whispered, pulling her close and linking his arms under her body, "How about we go into the kitchen and get you some ice than discuss dinner plans."

With a nod, Brennan wrapped her arms around his shoulders, breathing him in and just enjoying his presence. As soon as they made it into the living room, the loud thud heard across the room drew both of their attention.

Standing across the room, Maggie was repeatedly kicking a bright red ball against the wall. After every failed attempt she would run after the ball and return to the wall, just to kick it at the same spot.

"She's determined to get it through that wall." Booth chuckled at the determined demeanor his daughter had taken.

"Booth, at this age she is unable to kick a ball with a force strong enough to break anything. Actually" Brennan beamed as they watched, "this is her first attempt at such activities. She is very strong for her age."

"And determined." Booth whispered against her skin, "Just like her mother. When she gets older we are going to have a handful."

"Booth, at this age we are unable to determine what characteristics she will have as an adult. She is just mimicking actions she has seen with her newly acquired skills as a toddler." Brennan refuted.

Placing the compact to her forehead, Booth just smiled at the way she had so dedicatedly cataloged every action Maggie had partaken in. If that wasn't squint for love, he didn't know what else would be.

"Maybe it was a good thing you were being so undeceive today." Brennan's quizzical eyes looked up at him and his grin increased, maybe it was time for him fill her in on her own reality, "If we were on time we would have missed those spectacular soccer skills. Taking after her father already." He beamed.

"Oh, I am sure with Park-" Brennan heard a deep sigh and instantly frowned, "Rebecca didn't let you see those developmental moments did she?"

"No, she didn't." He looked up, sorrow etched in every defining line, "How about you change out of that dress into something more comfortable and we will eat in and make a family night of it."

"Are you sure?" Her eyes darted between him and their daughter, "I know how much you were looking forward to a date with just the two of us."

"Bones, I am sure." He said as his fingers danced across the silk before pushing her forward, "but save the dress… I can't wait to rip it off you tonight."

As he seductively licked his bottom lip a grin spread across all of Brennan's features, engulfing her in the sweetest relief. And in that moment she knew even at her worst, she was loved.


	14. When a Boy Meets a Girl

"Although Rebecca was hesitant," Brennan spoke as she sauntered into the living room, "Parker will be here in half an hour."

"That is n- wait what?" Booth jerked back as if he was on fire, "What does my son have to do with tonight?"

"Well, you did say family night… I just assumed…" Brennan walked into the kitchen and Booth quickly followed, shaking his head in disbelief.

"No, Brennan" Booth snarled, "you don't assume anything… you… you didn't even think. You didn't even think of telling me about this impromptu phone call…" His teeth gnashed together on a growl as he pinned her between his body and the counter, "before?"

"I… I just thought you would want to see your son." Brennan glared, holding her ground, "I am sure he wants to see you."

"You could have no way of knowing that."

"Yes I do." Her body slightly shook but her composure held as she firmly grasped his shoulders and leaned into him, "I know what it is like to be abandoned."

"I did not such thing! I… I love my son… I couldn't abandon him. I cannot be one of _them_." He glared but soon looked away in defeat.

"But you did. No phone calls, no letters, not even a gift for his birthday."

"How… how do you know?" He shook as her grip set his skin ablaze, "You… how?"

"When Maggie and I saw Rebecca at…"

"So you just went and told Rebecca about my daughter without informing me first?" Booth interrupted on a snarl, "Real brilliant. I didn't even deserve to be one of the first people to know. I was the… last." Booth spit out the words with such a force he stumbled back against the kitchen table.

"Not exactly." Brennan shakily spoke, "She guessed. Your Booth genes seem to dominate any influence I have over our child."

"And the whole damn world knows that. She is a fucking Booth through and through." Booth wasn't sure if he was mad at her for being so damn rational about this or himself for not sensing he had a child out there. But as the blood began to boil in his veins he couldn't help but let out a groan in anguish.

"Only four people know…" Brennan's weak voice was riddled with guilt, "It seems I am unable to verbalize my own failures as a mother to the general public. Think what you will of me but they were there when you were not."

"Yeah… well… who?" His voice was soft and weak as he tried his hardest not to cry. So many missed moments, so many missed chances. He had to make this right. With his next child he wouldn't miss a thing. She would be his queen and he would be a doting slave. Unable to keep the small smile from his lips he relished in the possibilities to right all his wrongs. They had been having unprotected sex… he knew it was wrong of him but somewhere deep down he hoped there was a little part of him growing inside of her.

"My father, Angela, Hodgins and Rebecca." Her eyes narrowed as his face softened. "It wasn't a choice Booth." Her voice riddled with the most vulnerable fragility, "I had to tell them. I just had to… I couldn't do it without you." Her voice broke and he snapped, instantly trying to soothe away his faults.

"Shh, shh." He soothed as his body lunged toward hers. "It's okay, I… I just…"

"Dr. Brennan, you better not…" Rebecca pushed the door open just in time to see Booth grind hotly against Brennan's shaking form. Just the thought of her being pregnant did wonders to his libido.

"Get a damn grip Seeley. Are you two always like this?"

"Well… Rebecca…" Booth smiled, unable to keep the smug smile from his lips.

"Oomph." Booth jerked back as Brennan's hand made contact with the back of his head.

"No, Rebecca." Brennan eyed Booth in response, "We are not always like this."

"Dr. Bones!" Parker screeched as he ran into the apartment, practically falling face first at the sight of his father, "Dad?" His voice shook as his eyes shot down.

"Hey Park," Rebecca pushed her son forward, "go say hi to your father."

The boy stood as still as a statue. His eyes blinked and his breath steadied as wave after wave of shock riddled his small form. It had been three months and six days since he had seen his father. His mother reminded him daily that his father still loved him but he knew the man he had the discomfort of being biologically related to was not his father. It was an imposter paid to play the part of his father. This man was a weak, selfish man and his father was the most loving, neutering man that existed. His eyes briefly rolled closed as memories of a happier time filled his heart. The somewhat familiar giggling that broken the silence caused his eyes the flutter open on a gasp. Who… was… that?

"Parker…" Brennan's soothing voice brought the boy out of his revere as his head jerked forward toward the squirming blob in her arms, "why don't you come say hi?"

"Mom?" He looked up at his mother for reassurance and she just smiled.

The small boy nodded but only took a step forward.

"I assure you she won't bite." Brennan held the child at arm's length, "She is just happy to finally meet you."

His eyes raked up and down his father's partner before settling on the giggling ball of energy in her arms. The instant their eyes locked Maggie let out a most infectious giggle. Squirming harder against her mother's hands her small, delicate hands reached out for her brother.

"Blue." She smiled, reaching out for his blue coat. "Blue. Blue. Blue. Blue." She repeated incessantly refusing to stop until the fabric was in her grasp.

As if on autopilot, Maggie's chants brought Parker forward until he was within inches of her withering body. Her arms flung out and grasped onto the fabric. The child giggled in relief as she gripped the fabric tightly in her small little fists, causing a huge grin to wash over her brother.

"Maggie," Brennan's voice brought both the children's eyes toward her, "this is your older brother. His name is Parker."

"Can I?" Parker sheepishly asked as his arms stretched out toward the child. Perfect little fingers and toes, he was in awe of her delicate features.

"Sure." Without hesitation, Brennan placed the young child in her brother's arms and she instantly soothed, mesmerized by the warmth he radiated.

"They are perfect." Booth gasped as Brennan nestled into his arms. Looking toward the door he noticed Rebecca's presence was replaced by a small duffle bag. "Looks like it is just us tonight." He smiled, pressing his lips delicately on her hand linked in his.

"Ouch!" Parker screamed as he sent the adults out of their world.

"What? What happened?" Brennan's frantic voice caused Booth to hold her tighter toward her body. The second the sound rolled off his son's lips he knew it wasn't anything serious but those skills were one thing Brennan would have to learn all on her own.

"Dr. Bones…" Parker glared at his sister but soon his eyes softened, "I thought you said she didn't bite."


	15. The Missing Link

"Hmmm…" Brennan sleepily mumbled. Her half lidded eyes fell down on a smile, "That feels so good."

"Yeah?" He smiled, rubbing soft soothing circles across her stomach.

"Yeah." Her eyes slowly rolled closed at the sensation. It was not often she woke up find a half naked man on his hands and knees over her delicately smoothing down her skin. Usually a man would not even last the night but this man was mesmerized by every perfect flaw, flaws not many saw. She could feel his eyes scan her body as she slowly drifted back to sleep. She knew she was in perfectly capable hands and that comfort lulled her to the most peaceful sleep she had ever experienced.

"Good." He mumbled against her bare skin, finger tips setting her skin on fire followed by the cooling sensation of his ghost like kisses. He could tell by the light flinching under his fingers that her body craved his rough grasp but he couldn't help his smooth movements. He found himself drawn in by the evidence a child, his child, once resided under his hands. Gripping her body tightly he felt her body tense then release on a groan. A groan of complete contentment flowed from her slumbering lips as he flexed his fingers deeper into her skin, longing to be one with his child.

"So beautiful." He faintly whispered, focusing intently on the place where his daughter once resided. The stretch marks were so faint he had to squint to see them but he knew it was permanent evidence of all she had done for him. And the fact that she would do so without hesitation sent a surging smile across his lips.

"One day…" He smiled against her skin, "one day I won't miss a damn second." He vowed against her glowing skin. "And I will be the first person you see and hear. You _will_ know me." He closed his eyes on a somber smile, hoping his future child could hear his pleads for redemption.

"Dr. Bones!" Parker ran into the room but suddenly stopped in the doorway, "Oh…" The child eyed his father in a most compromising position, "I'll come back later."

"Parker…" Booth sternly spoke causing the child to freeze, "what is it that you would like?"

Rolling off his partner, Booth ran his calming hand over her skin before sliding off the edge of the bed and staring expectantly at his son. His hand span across her stomach, trying to pacify the light whimpers left in his wake yet his eyes never left his son.

"I… I just didn't know you were sleeping with her." Parker snarled, unable to keep the disapproval from his lips. "I'll knock next time."

"Parker, it was not what it looked like." Booth placed his head in his hands, this was beyond humiliating. He should not have to explain his actions to his son. Even when he didn't even know what he was doing himself. He knew it wasn't sexual but the second his eyes rolled open that morning he had an insatiable need to span his hands over her stomach and take every inch in. He just needed to touch her, be one with her… explore the peaks and valleys of motherhood. Her body had changed so much since the last time he was able to fully engulf himself in her beautify and those changes just seemed to pull him in like a moth to a flame. Even if he was going to get burned, he knew she was one thing he would never be able to live without and her beauty he would never forget. She was a drug and her body, his dealer.

"So you aren't sleeping with her." He accused, "It sure looked like you were."

"Parker!" Booth gasped. "That is none of your business."

"I think I am around mom enough to know what sex looks like. I may be a kid but I am not stupid dad. Did you really think mom just wasn't going to have sex the whole time you decided to leave me? I know what I saw."

"Parker…" Booth sat in shock, unable to convey the deep emotions flowing through his veins, "I... I…"

"That's what I thought." Parker turned on his heels and began walking down the hall, "Maggie is up and I can't find her breakfast." Informing his father of his original intentions.

"Park! Park!" Booth dashed out of the bedroom toward his son, "You were going to make Maggiebear breakfast?"

"Of course." Parker looked up from the Sippy cup in his hands, "She's my sister and she was hungry. I was not going to let her starve."

"Oh." Booth couldn't help but beam. In not even twelve hours his children had bonded in such a way that would make any father proud.

With an uncomfortable nod Parker filled up the cup with juice and handed in to his sister. Maggie clapped with excitement before readily grabbing the cup from her brother.

"Just don't bite me this time, kid."

"I'm proud of you Park." Booth spoke as he shuffled through the cupboards, "I… I know things have not been the best between us lately but I vow to you that I am going to start mending those bridges. Call it a clean slate."

Wrapping his arms around his son, Booth squeezed until his son finally relented and wrapped his arms around his father.

"Okay, okay," Parker gasped, "don't get all girly on me now. We are men."

The men broke apart and instantly went back to breakfast duties. Shuffling through the cupboards again Booth pulled down rice crackers and pancakes mix.

"Thanks." Parker mumbled, jerking the cracker box from the counter and spreading them across Maggie's highchair.

With a nod of acknowledgment Booth pulled out a few skillets. Cracking a few eggs in the bowl he began whisking them feverishly before pouring them in the scalding skillet. Parker quickly followed suit, pouring his pancake mix into the skillet on his side.

"Chocolate chip?"

"You know it." Parker looked up and both men smiled before returning to their skillets.

Silence filled the kitchen once more as they each focused on the task at hand. Placing the contents on two plates, they each grabbed a plate and slid on each side of Maggie. The child giggled before returning to her task of smashing her crackers into obliteration.

"So…" Parker picked up his fork and twirled his eggs before poking the air for emphasis, "is this the only sibling I have or are you keeping more from me?"

Booth's mind began to turn and he just smiled. He wasn't sure what it was about today but the thought of her carrying his child seemed to permeate every second of his waking existence.

"About the baby factory?" Parker's words brought him back to existence.

"I'm thinking about it." Booth's eyes flicked up and Parker sighed, "And don't call her that. She'll beat you with her words so quickly your head will spin."

"I want a brother." Parker nonchalantly spoke, "These girls are too much work. Always demanding stuff. I do have stuff to do you know…"

"I agree." Booth smiled, "These Brennan girls are too much work."

"Yeah, they are."

In that second Maggie went from her giggly self to crying and throwing her cup across the kitchen. Both men's eyes were drawn to the girl on a groan. It was going to be a long morning.

"On second thought, maybe two is enough." But Booth knew the truth, with her it would ever be enough. Nothing was ever enough.


	16. Accidental Heaven

In love with the most radiating woman he had ever met, a salvageable relationship with his son and the most beautiful girl he had ever laid his eyes on. Booth had it made. The last few months had definitely been a turning point in his life. He could still remember the violent shakes and nightly cold sweats that had all but come routine. The bitter, self-destructive man he had become was slowly seeping into every facet of his life and breaking down even the strongest woman who stood in his way to hell.

But that was then and this was now. Now he was a much different man. Some may say it takes the challenges of life to break and mold a good man but Booth knew the truth. It took a woman. A strong, independent woman who takes your breath away with her smile while at the same time breaking your balls with her defiance. Giving you reason to be a better man not because she asked but because that is what she deserves. Your best may not be good enough but at the end of the day if you played your cards right you might just get a chance to see that smile once more. A smile that could turn mountains into a mole hole without slight hesitation. A woman that had won his heart.

Pure heaven.

Leaning back on the couch, he couldn't help but smile at the surprisingly happy turn his life had taken. It had taken almost half a century but that little girl's smile was worth its weight in gold. He knew he had a long way to go to be the man his women deserved but mornings like this, when it was just the three of them he knew he would do whatever it took to be a tenth of that man.

Glancing up from his calloused hands a small, knowing smile filled his sight followed by a small projectile aimed directly for his head.

"Maggie!" He mockingly scoffed as he caught the block mid air, "What would your mother say if she knew you were abusing your father?" _Father_, the word rolled off his tongue so easily he jumped back in surprise. Shifting toward the father role had come almost instantly the second his eyes locked with her baby blues he hadn't even thought of the repercussions until now. He was a _daddy_, her daddy and the woman that had filled his dreams for the last five years was a mommy. A mommy to the same rambunctious, defiant child that was his little angel, a mix of two fractured sets of DNA that had created what was as close to perfection that he had ever seen. If this wasn't heaven he wasn't sure what was.

"Block!" The excited child squealed, watching as the bright red object bounced between her father's palms, "Da! Da! Block!"

Booth couldn't help the grin that seemed to etch its way into every second with his beautiful, angelic little girl. He couldn't put his finger on it but the innocence that filled her every movement pushed him to be her world. Little girls would grow up into young women who would look for a mate exactly like the only man of their dreams. And it was his role as her father to make sure no man ever came close in those angel eyes.

"That's right." He grinned, bursting with pride, "I am your daddy. I'll always be your daddy and you'll always be my Maggie Bear."

Eyes flicking up at the clock resting on the wall he knew if he did not wake up her mother he would be in for a great tongue lashing when she did wake. An hour, she had asked for only an hour to herself after breakfast but when he went in the bedroom he couldn't force himself to wake her from her blissful dream like state.

"Why don't you go wake up your mommy?" He smiled and waved her into the hallway, "Maybe if we are lucky we can get out of that icky museum tour she had planned."

Hesitantly the child stood, unsure if the man before her would be there when she got back. Vaguely she could remember a life without this man, an enigma that seemed to become her rock and while the fear was fleeting, she couldn't stand her life without him since.

"I'll be right here." He quietly soothed. Leaning down toward her he trailed his hand delicately down her fine locks, "You're my little girl. Wherever you need me, I'll be there. You are a Booth through and through, I could never leave you."

He knew his daughter probably did not understand what he was trying t convey but he could help but do everything in his power to pacify the doubt welling up in her eyes. Wrapping his large hands over her small frame he nestled her in tightly toward his chest than gracefully set her down as though she was glass.

With a nod, Maggie quickly released her grasp on his shirt and bolted toward her mother's bedroom unable to keep the infectious giggles from trailing down the hall in her wake.

"Good grief." He exclaimed on a rough expel, "I'm whipped."

A good whipped, he thought as he leaned back on the couch and thought long about how happy he had become in a few short months. A very good whipped indeed.

"Mommy!" The gleeful, blue eyed child chanted, tugging tightly at her mother's robe, "Mommy! Mommy! Mommmmm-"

"Maggie… please…" A groan came from the mound of blankets and sheets, silencing the child with a cool, collected shudder.

"Maggie bear, did you…"As soon as Booth walked into the bedroom he could tell there was certainly something wrong with his partner. Even though they had grown apart over the years, one thing he was sure of was her sleep schedule. He could set his clock by it, well what little she did sleep. But there she laid at quarter past ten, sprawled out covering the whole king sized bed with an increasing distinct green hue.

"I thought you said you were tired." The presumptuous laugh echoing each and every word caused Brennan's already unsettled nerves to tense, "It is almost the afternoon and you haven't done much more than crawl into bed after breakfast."

"Yeah… well…" Brennan slowly rolled toward offending mound now taking up half the bed, "maybe… maybe I didn't sleep well last night. Someone did keep me up until the wee hours of the morning."

She knew her excuse was weak but if she didn't stop his questions she knew they wouldn't have moved until she admitted _everything_, not just the fact that her stomach felt the need to be purged from her system. He was a man on a mission, determined to get answers at all cost. She knew she should have expected it from him but once again she was wrong, so horribly wrong.

"I know I didn't wear you out that much…" Leaning in, Booth couldn't help but snicker at his conquest, "We both know how bad… or good… it could have gotten."

"I'm fine… really I am." Brennan protested the soothing motions. "I am just a little sleepy is all."

"So you frequently spend Saturdays sleeping in and leaving Mags here all by herself?"

"No… I just… I think I am going to be sick." She yelped as she got up and made a mad dash toward the master bath.


	17. Once In a Lifetime

"Bones, you okay in there?" Booth asked, glancing through the crack in the bathroom door.

"Yes" she hissed, leaning back out of his view but keeping her close proximity to the porcelain bowl that had become her saving grace. "My answer is the same it was ten minutes ago!"

_Man, her emotions tended to change real quick_ he thought as he leaned in becoming flush with the door. He wasn't sure if it was the pitiful little girl voice she was using or the fact that he could hear the muffled groans of anguish following shortly after each heave but his heart was breaking with every passing puke filled second. A healthy woman who was in her prime had been belittle down to a feeble child in a matter of minutes… by her own body!

"Well you have been in there for half an hour puking up your guts. That doesn't seem fine to me." He tried to keep his voice as level as he could but his fear pushed its way through anyway, "I'm worried about you." He finally relented in brutal, broken honesty.

"Just because it is not fine to you, doesn't mean it isn't fine to me. You did not ask whether I was fine in your eyes but how I felt. And I feel peachy. Expelling bodily fluids has become my new favorite activity!" She sarcastically snapped. She knew it was unfair to unleash her wraith on him when it wasn't really his fault but she was growing quite sick of his constant need for updates. She was a little queasy, that was all. If he got this worked up over her having an unsettled stomach she couldn't even imagine how bad he was going to be when Maggie got the flu.

"Bones…" He lightly whispered against the door, unable to keep the failure from hitting him in wave after wave. He was a protector, her protector, but he was left to do nothing but watch and wait. How could he be expected to protect his family when he couldn't do anything other than watch her body assault her for no other reason then it wanted to. Failure, thy name be Seeley Booth.

"I'm fine. I really am…" As soon as the words started flowing from her lips the dry heaving began once more, "I… I blame this on you…" She choked out over gasping coughs.

"Me?" His voice squeaked in surprise at her playful tone. Of course she would blame it on him; even he was blaming it on himself.

"You just had to order pizza last night." She muttered to no one in particular, "Double cheese with olives."

"Your favorite." He grinned widely, even after all these years there are some things you just don't forget about your partner. "Your nasty, healthy favorite."

"You ate it too!" She laughed in conquest. "I went back and there was only one slice left. I doubt Maggie had the capabilities to eat half a large pizza herself."

"I… well… are you sure it wasn't the pancakes that made you feel sick?" He quickly changed the subject, trying to give her as little leverage in the vegetable department as possible. He was a carnivore not a rabbit.

"Booth… I can taste it. It is the pizza."

"Oh."

Hovering his hand over the door he knew in every other situation he would have barged through that door so fast she wouldn't have had any time to object. But there he stood, silently pleading for just a chance to just push the door open. Sure he had been practically spending every waking second at her apartment but it was still hers and only hers. He was just a guest, a guest with a parking pass and a key but still a guest none the less.

She wasn't officially his girlfriend, his wife or even the woman he was living with. She was his partner, the mother of his child and his best friend. The thought that, that could be all they ever would be would was slowly eating him up inside. He had pushed it aside for months, hoping she would come to the same love defying all logic conclusion herself but if this situation was any indication she was far from ever knowing exactly how important she was to him.

"Bones, I know this is going to sound sort of silly but…" He slowly began; not sure what direction or even what he was ultimately going to say.

"Booth, I am sure anything you have to say while I am in this predicament will count as silly."

"Thanks for ruining my moment, Bones." He lightly jabbed with a chuckle.

"Well, the tone of your voice indicated a serious moment and projectile vomit does not rank as a pleasantry." She coldly explained, unsure why the words left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"I meant… well… I guess… never mind." He fumbled, hoping he could once again get the courage to profess his deep, darkest secret. _Marry me_.

Silence soon filled the few feet separating the couple… or would be couple… damnit she was his. She _had_ to be. He wasn't sure when it had changed but sometime between finding out he was a father again and now he had concluded she was his. She was more than his; she would one day be his wife… if he had proven himself to at least be enough of a man that she would at least try with. She loved him, he loved her, and they were a family. Even if it was only in his mind it had to have some validity to it… right? You don't just almost marry a man, have his child then not love him but then again it was Bones he was talking about, she could rationally conclude her way out of her own name.

"You know I love you and Maggie, right?" He wistfully reminded her with a determined emphasis, "There is nothing I wouldn't do for her. You know that… don't you?" He humbly admitted, placing his head against the door and pushing it open accidently.

To his surprise the second his eyes opened they met the largest grin he could remember spread across her face. It was as if she didn't know, didn't realize how much he cared for his women and him professing it somehow pacified some deep, dark need.

"Geeze Bones, you look horrible." He cringed at the clammy, pale glow her skin had taken.

"Thanks Booth. Just make me feel…"

"No!" He threw his hands toward her face in soothing circles to stop her lips, "I didn't mean you weren't beautiful… you are stunning… I just meant you look sick… drool inducing hot but sick…" He rambled on trying to keep himself from looking like more of a fool but ending up making it worse.

"Are you done now?" Her eyes darted toward the bumbling idiot before her, "Or are you ready to catalogue my symptoms?"

Symptoms? What other symptoms could she be referring to? Before today, well before her nap she had acted perfectly normal. Tired and puking… oh _shit_. Shit, shit, shit, fuck. How could he not see it?

"I know this isn't my place but…" He hesitantly spoke, trying to put the pieces together in his mind, "do you think the tiredness you have felt and your puking could be signs of…"

"No!" Her defiant scream stopped all discussion on the subject, "Do not even say the word."

"But we did have unprotected sex. It is a possibility." He tried to coax her into rationally thinking about it but the way her eyes flared back at him he knew she was too far off the emotional deep end to be saved.

"Once." She countered. She knew it was irrational to not even think of it as a possibility but the thought of her going through it all again alone was too much to even think about. He had said he would be there for Maggie and that fact she never doubted. But she was still a single mother with a baby daddy, not a boyfriend or husband but a father for her child. A biological father and that was all. His name wasn't even on the birth certificate; all he had to go by was that she told him it was his. Legally he had to reason to even stick around as long as he had. She knew the statistics which just perpetuated her fear. She had done it once and it had about killed her. Now that he was back in her life she knew how fragile their relationship was and a pregnancy could just be the one thing that would do them in for good.

The truth was once was all it took. Maggie was the proof of that. Between their busy schedules they hadn't had sex in weeks before that night, the night that changed everything. Once was all it took, in that moment, the first time they were together that night something inside her snapped and she _knew_ it was different. It wasn't just making love that night. It was so much more. She felt it.

This time was in the throes of passion and desire not love and certainly not emotional ties. It was a hot, hormone induced biological release. It couldn't happen again; it just couldn't… or could it? Was history doomed to repeat itself just because she had to have one more kiss?


	18. A Little Late On Time, Space and Pickles

I know I have been updating this one often and sort of ignoring the others but the muse is running amuck with this baby thing so I am just going with it.

This chapter is very emotionally driven and dicey at times but these things needed to be said. There will be happy times soon, very, very soon actually. Hold out a little longer and you will be rewarded, I promise.

* * *

"Pseudocyesis." Brennan announced proudly as she strolled down the hallway toward the living room. It had been a week since her bathroom fiasco and she thought she finally found the cause of her taunting nightmares.

"I know you said I won't know for sure until I take the test but I really think I have found something." She glanced down at her printout with glee. She was sure he would believe her with this one.

Yeah, her fiftieth idea of what this _something_ was, a big, fat something that screamed pregnancy to Booth yet he still let her day after day come to him with reasons as to what she _really_ had. Pregnancy, of course, was never one of those possibilities.

"I printed out some…." Brennan blinked rapidly as her eyes finally looked up from her paper to see her partner standing in her living room in nothing but track pants holding a bouquet of flowers and a large jar of pickles. His slouching demeanor was a clear indicator he had been standing in that exact position for a long time. "Booth, why are you standing in the dining room holding flowers?"

"They are for you." He smiled, waving them in front of her face. "I saw them on my way home from my run and I thought of you." He awkwardly grinned.

"And the feed a family for a week jar of pickles?"

"Those… are also for you. It's a variety pack!" Leave it to Booth to find the only variety pack of pickles in D.C., "I… I wasn't sure which kind you liked."

"Oh." She growled, eyes narrowing at the obnoxiously large jar, "And I _won't_ need those." Her head flicked toward the jar.

"Bones…" His voice softened as he placed the flowers and jar of pickles on the table and stepped forward, "why don't you just take the pregnancy test and find out?"

"Booth, I already told you…"

"You're scared, aren't you?" Wrapping his arms around her he couldn't help but smile at the vulnerability she was instantly clothed in, "You're afraid that this baby… a baby" He instantly corrected in response to her shiver, "will change us…"

"No," She swallowed the lump in her throat, "I _know_ it will. Maggie changed me more than I care to admit. Children change people, Booth. Children change who you are, what you think and who you… love." Her voice was a faint whisper but the growl that ruffled against her hair shown he had heard every word.

"You think a new baby would change how I feel about you?"

She nodded against his chest, unwilling to verbalize any of her deep rooted fears. She knew it was silly but as long as she didn't say anything this wasn't real and out there to be analyzed over and over again. She thought she was going to be sick.

"Hell yes, it would Bones." He excitedly nodded, "It would change _everything_."

"Oh." He voice was dark and tortured, a clear contrast to the enthusiasm he relished in. She really didn't want to let him see her cry but she couldn't help the silent tears that flowed. After all this time the truth was out there, a new set of cells… a new life would change them. The possibility of having another child with the one you were head over heels with was supposed to be a happy time but Brennan found this experience to be pure hell. One slip up, an accident would cause her to lose everything yet gain a small constant reminder of what exactly she had lost.

"Bones, why don't we…" As Booth began to talk a small stream of faint drops began to barrage his arm, "Wait… are you crying?"

Silence. An eerie silence that seemed to wrap around the couple, forcing them to both be slapped with a possible new reality that scared them to their cores. Pregnant women could be temperamental and emotional; Rebecca was so bad sometimes he wondered what alien had taken over her body. But Brennan was pragmatic, rational and collected not the ball of frazzled nerves and emotions he currently held in his arms.

"Babe… why didn't you say anything?"

Brennan's body instantly stiffed at the all too once familiar term of endearment. The second the word rolled off his lips he knew it would just perpetuate the storm brewing within but he couldn't help himself. He had been catching himself recently more and more slipping into the protective boyfriend role yet Brennan had done little to hinder his intentions and assert her independence.

"I… I…" Her stuttering swiftly brought him back to reality.

"We have seen some pretty gruesome things and dealt with some harsh issues in our time together. You can tell me anything. You're my best friend."

"But… I… I can't… you will leave me and I… oh God… the mood swings… the sleepless nights…. I think I am going to be sick." She rambled so quickly he wasn't even sure if it she was speaking English.

"Bones, one thing at a time. Your mind may run at a mile a minute but I am an old man who needs things explained slowly. Very slowly. So first, why are you crying?"

"No." She adamantly protested.

"That isn't a reason and you know it Bones. You have to tell me… please?"

Slinging her head low Brennan pushed her body so tightly against his he was really considering if it was possible to merge into one body. Normally this would be hot but Booth found his libido was replaced a long sense of unabated desire to comfort that had long since been under lock and key.

"I am not going anywhere." He soothed, "I just need to know what got you so worked up."

"Yes, you will." She spoke coldly but the hint of fear still seemed to find its way though.

"What makes you think I could ever leave you?"

"You!" She screamed, spitting all over his chiseled chest, "The way you just… one minute you are being supportive and the next you are having a mental break down and cannot get away from me quick enough."

"I told you it wasn't your fault. It was my fault, completely my fault. I was being a stupid, selfish idiot. Now please… please forgive me." He pleaded. "I'll do anything."

"But you left me alone… pregnant and all alone!" She whimpered.

"If I would have known I would have stayed." He begged for her to just understand, "I would have sucked up all my insecurities and been there for it all. All the verbal beatings, the late night cravings, even down to being your personal, doting slave. I would have done it all without question or being asked to. You gave me the most precious gift anyone could have given me. I love Rebecca dearly for my son but you… you gave me a daughter. A perfect little angel that was sent from heaven. She's perfect. I know I could never repay you for what you have given me but at least then I could have felt at least worthy of that little smile every morning."

"Booth, you are worthy. I knew the risks when we had sex and still pursued the pregnancy knowing full well it was statistically significant I would be a single parent."

"No!" His booming voice was dark and determined, "I don't care what you say. You never would have been a single parent. I would have found out. Somehow… I would have known."

"Booth, you would have not known she existed. You are a worthy parental figure but no one knew." Brennan pushed the topic further. She wasn't sure why she felt the need to push him so but after all those months alone she knew she was going to break him like a twig. The shadow looming overhead was proof of that but she didn't care. After all she had been though; he _deserved_ to feel just as she had for so long.

"If I was worth it, I would have stayed and been a man." He rasped between sobs, "I would have known and I would have stayed. You would have been my wife and my daughter would have had that complete, perfect family from day one." He admitted in brutal honesty. "She is half my DNA and you are my best friend. Somehow I should have just… known."

"You and I have never done things conventionally, Booth." She wrapped her arms tightly around his weaken form, "We always do things in our own way. Maybe our dysfunctional family…"

"I'd marry you right now if you'd let me." Booth blurted out in raw honesty. "Marry you and grin like a fool, just to see you smile once more. Don't you see it Bones? I may have physically left but I never stopped loving you. I could never stop loving you. You are my other half, my better half. The fact that I was without you was practically killing me. Bones, you complete me."

Brennan's body froze but her eyes raked him so deeply it felt as though she was lighting him on fire with just a gaze. The wedding band around her neck began scorching her skin not out of anguish but out of desire to be where it belonged, around her finger just as he was wrapping tightly around her heart.

"I… I don't know what to say." _Yes! Say Yes!_ Her heart pleaded but soon her rational kicked in, beating her heart to form words.

"That's okay." He smiled, unsure what he would do if she actually had said yes besides pass out in bliss, "We still have the rest of our lives. How about we just start with dating? You'll be my girlfriend and I will be your boyfriend… we will be together… officially. It would be our own form of dating. No pesky getting to know each other period or awkward family meetings. Just you, me and our daughter. Sort of a getting to know you period before the big plunge because I am going to marry you Bones. I am going to make this right and make you my wife."

"I'd like that." Brennan smiled while trying to contain the few stray tears. She wasn't quite sure she was ready to agree to marriage but dating she could do, it was practically what they had been doing for months. Laying the ground work for what she suspected to be a fast track to marriage. She had said yes once before and now she had even more of a reason to agree. Somewhere deep in the pits of her heart she knew when the question actually did come up she already knew her answer, an emphatic, life completing _yes_.

"Me too." Booth beamed, she was finally officially his and he couldn't help but feel relieved. Sure if it was up to him he would have married her before their daughter came to be but he was a big reason, well the only reason, they hadn't so he would just have to make do with what he was given. "So call up that hoard of men trying to get in your pants and tell them you are off the market… for good."

"Booth…" Brennan playfully teased.

"What? My woman, my rules."

Just one look that was all it took to for him to know exactly how close to the edge he had become. They both knew he was teasing but with Temperance Brennan there was a fine line between flirting and being reprimanded for weeks.

"You ready to take that test now?" He slowly asked, unwilling to give up until he got a determinate, scientific answer to the question that seemed to fill his every waking second.

Frantic eyes met his, setting his heart ablaze. She was petrified.

"Don't worry." Booth chuckled lightly at the absurdity of his idea, "I told you I would be there so I will be there. I'll even go into the bathroom with you and hold your hand if you would like. Then you know I won't be running."

Taking uneasy steps Brennan walked slowly toward the bathroom, knowing her dutiful boyfriend was following quickly in tow and somehow this time… it just _felt_ right.


	19. I Can See It In Your Glow

"Grandpa!" Maggie giggled as she ran arms wide open to the front door, "You'll never guess what I did today." The little girl beamed as she wrapped her small arms around her grandfather.

"What Mags?" Max couldn't help but laugh at the infectious giggles radiating her small form. Maggie's smile was one that few could resist but the way her eyes lit up that morning spoke of a peace beyond her few years on this earth.

"Mommy and daddy took me to the zoo!" The little girl squealed as she squirmed from Max's grasp above her father on the couch, "Daddy even let me pet a goat! Mommy said the goat was going to eat my shirt but… but daddy let me! He was so warm and soft and… and… grandpa, can I have a goat?" The child began to ramble but all Max could focus on was the man sleeping soundly on couch.

"Your father?" The words slowly rolled off his tongue with a lightly masked twinge of disgust.

Max knew all too well how stubborn his daughter could be, but how she could keep a child from her father was beyond him. It was his duty as her protector to know these things, not just let her disappear without a fight. In Max's eyes he had given his daughter to the man now sleeping smugly before him, and all he was given in return was heartbreak in the form of innocent tears. For years he thought they would get married and live happily ever after, not run as far as they could from each other leaving one little girl with a broken heart and shattered dreams. And betraying that little angel's heart was one thing Max could never stand for. He better have a damn good reason for his actions, and even then, Max doubted if that was enough.

"Yeah," Maggie nodded, "He's the best daddy ever."

"Awe Maggiebear," Booth cooed, "That is not going to get you out of cleaning your room." Booth sighed as he slowly rolled onto his back, cradling his daughter tightly to his chest, "If you don't the tickle monster is going to come and get you." He laughed as he ran his fingers against her ribs until fits of giggles filled the room.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Maggie gasped between giggles, "Stop! You… you're not… grandpa make him stop!" The fleeting sense of fear filling Maggie's words was enough to send Max over the edge as his hand came crashing down, stopping Booth's movements with his protective glare.

"Booth…" Max growled as he tightened his grasp on the now wide-eyed man before him.

"Max!" Booth shrieked in horror, "We… we were just playing…" He hoarsely confessed, instantly petrified by the man who had held together the two woman he adored in his wake.

The two men's eyes locked but Max's cold as ice stare soon relented as gratitude and shame danced across Booth's features. For all he had done Booth owed Max his life and the sincerity rimming around his eyes was enough to pacify the fears Max held deep within.

"Grandpa," Maggie smiled as she broke the knowing tension, "I want juice."

"So demanding." Max chuckled as he felt a slight tug on his shoulder, "The Brennan woman…"

"Can't get enough of it." Booth finished Max's sentence as both men chuckled and in that moment a silent understanding seemed to pass between the men, one of a deep devotion to the two women that had found their way into their hearts.

"Margret, you need to…" Brennan's words stopped short when she heard a very familiar set of footsteps follow Maggie's soft ones, "Oh, hi dad." She tried to nonchalantly play off the pink hue rising up her checks but it was clear to everyone in the room she was hiding a very big, life altering secret. She was caught red handed with a small stick that for that moment seemed to hold all the answers she sought.

"With my increasingly busy schedule and appointments, it seems I have-" Brennan began to ramble as her mind tried to process how to best handle the situation and dispose of the evidence.

How was she to confess something she had barely been able to acknowledge herself? It had been weeks since the initial test, yet the shock of it all had yet to set in. She was pregnant... again by the man of her dreams, a time in her life when she should be ecstatic. Yet the thought of having another one of his children petrified her more than a gun to the head ever could. She was committing herself again to a man who had proved his flight response was just as strong as her own and the thought of him fleeing was just too unbearable.

"Booth is the father isn't he?" Max just smiled as his eyes raked over his daughter's radiating figure, "How far along?" At Brennan's gasp he knew he had hit the nail on the head, "Two months? No… no… I'd say three." He couldn't help but laugh as disbelieve mixed with an undeniable Temperance glare seemed to bombard his every movement.

"Temp, I survived three Brennan pregnancies. I think I qualify as an expert."

It may not have been noticeable to most but the way his daughter was carrying herself was a clear indication of a Brennan woman with child. She may have been able to hide it even from herself, but the way her hips lightly swayed against her grasping fingertips was an indication he would never forget. She was pregnant and he had a sneaking suspicion he would be seeing lots of blue in his future.

"I think it's a boy." Booth lightly chuckled as he slowly entered the kitchen and picked up his daughter as she slowly drifted to sleep. "Bones says it is too early to tell but I mean, come on, it has to be a boy. I am not sure if I can take another Brennan woman running around here."

"Booth!" Brennan hissed as her eyes locked on the man standing to her side, "I thought we discussed this."

"He's your father, Bones. He deserves to know. Did you honestly think he was going to be coming around here and not notice I am living here and you are carrying my child?"

"That reminds me, son," Max smiled his sly, cunning smile that seemed to stop the veteran FBI agent in his tracks, "you mind if we go for a walk… and talk?"

"Uh…" Booth's eyes fell on Brennan but she just smiled as she took their slumbering daughter in her arms.

"I think that is a wonderful idea." She nodded, unable to keep the sarcasm from dripping from every word. "And don't be gone long or dinner will be cold."

"Mark my words, Bones; whatever happens… you started it." Booth eyed his girlfriend with a knowing smile before being whisked away by a determined father-in-law. "And get rid of those stupid tests! I love you, you love me and we're pregnant. Get over it!"

And little did she know the romantic monster she had just created.


	20. The Blood on Your Hands, Pt 1

"But Max…" Booth's now hallow eyes fell upon the man standing before him as he pleaded for him to just understand, "it is not like I haven't tried. I spent five years pining for a woman who plastered her sexual conquest all around me. How is a man to act? I had my heart shattered into a thousand pieces every day just because she wouldn't accept her feelings. She… she just…"

"Is stubborn. She is a rational, stubborn woman that only you can decode. Why do you think she hasn't had a date in years? The second you left all dating ceased. She had men groveling to just get a chance to be in her presence, but that was never enough. Only you were enough and the second you left, her heart left too."

"This is a lot bigger than a few dates, Max." Booth's eyes flicked up but soon fell, "She's the mother of my children. She's given me something magical without even trying. How can I repay that? I have a beautiful daughter and a small part of my love growing inside her. She's given me a gift I cannot repay. She's made me whole again and I… I can't screw this up again. I love her and it has only ever been her. Max," He solemnly choked up, "I can't live without her."

"Then act on it." The older man briefly smiled as he nudged Booth onto the rain filled streets, "Stop being such a wimp and show her exactly how you feel. You can't knock her up, so how much damage could it cause? It isn't as though you don't know how she feels about you. My daughter adores you."

"Max, that woman in there is carrying my child… a small bundle of my soul. I can't fix what I have done… I cannot pretend I have not done irrevocable damage to the only person that matters. I left when I should have stayed. I… I fled how I felt." The broken mummers stemming from a once determined man was heartbreaking but Max just nodded as he watched years of pent up emotions flow from his lips, "I told her not to run, that I would always be here for her, but in the light of day I couldn't look at her the same. I couldn't go back to just being partners. I spent weeks waiting for her to come around… and… and… Max… she…" Booth's broken words ceased as the tears mixed with cool, crisp rain.

"You let her go." Max finished his thought. As much as it hurt him to see his daughter destroyed by the man before him, he knew deep down he was already destroyed, "Letting her run was much easier than making her stay and face what you had made. Letting her break your heart was one thing you couldn't handle so you made up some silly excuse about having to go on some stupid mission. After all these years, you were the one who ran."

"It is more than that. You just don't understand." Booth pleaded for his father-in-law to change the subject. "It is not like I didn't try. I tried to stay and save the partnership, but a man can only spend so many countless nights pining over a love that was never his. She had made it clear she had moved on, I was just trying to do the same the only way I knew how. Without her there weren't many reasons for living. She has saved my life more than she knows. I knew she deserved more and I know I couldn't give her what we had. I had to leave, go far away from the only woman I have ever loved to make her see… to show her… Max, I had to show her I loved her enough to walk away, that she deserved more than this beaten up shell of a soul. You don't understand what that does to a man. I was destroyed, feeble and weak. How could I ever expect her to take me back?"

"I know what I do understand. I know my baby girl spent two years of her life wondering where her father was just because you were too scared of a woman you could pick up and throw. Those women in there adore the damn ground you walk on and what did you do? You just let her run! Run away and…"

"Max…"

"No, you're going to listen to me boy." Max snarled, "This is going to hurt but you are going to listen to every damn word I say. You hurt that little girl in there… my little girl. And I am not letting your wimpy attitude do it again. You are going to love her, or you never were the man I thought you were; the man I gave my daughter to. You're going to be the father that girl deserves. You have to be."

Silence filled the small space between the two men. If Booth really thought about it he knew he could never deserved what he had been given. Waking up every morning next to the sun in his sky was much more than this murderer deserved. He killed men not because of a sense of virtue and honor, but because of twisted lie. He was not any better than the men's blood he had on his hands, and if he had the same fate maybe the world would be better off. Maybe she would be better off without him. Maybe, just maybe she would be happier if she never knew him at all.

"You're a former sniper for God sakes!" Max snapped as the fury ran through his veins. "A damn army sniper and your afraid of a child. You are the best at your field but when it comes to the love from an innocent child you can't take it. She's your God damn daughter, Booth, you're flesh and blood."

"It's not that…" Booth chanted as the tears started streaking down his face, "It's just not that…"

"Then what is it? What kept you away from the perfect display of innocence and love? What was so much more important than breaking my daughter's heart?"

"I've killed men, Max. Lots of men and all because of some stupid rhetoric the government fed me. Not because I was a hero or courageous but because deep down I am nothing more than a cowardly and a liar. And that girl in there deserves a hero not a damn failure. I just couldn't tell her I had failed her again."


	21. A Squinty Kind of Human

_Note: __The second part of the last chapter, __**The Blood on Your Hands**__, will be up next, but this is just a nice little chapter to break up the serious weight of the next few chapters. Enjoy, I mean who can resist a Booth baby anyway? Certainly not Booth._

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"Daddy!" Maggie giggled as she bounded into the bedroom, "Mine!" The child giggled as she grasped at the objects before her father.

"No, Maggie," He smiled as he pulled the brightly coloured knob from his daughter's grasp, "That is for the new baby. Your toys are in your room; why don't you go in there and play?"

With a sly smile and a nod Maggie walked out of the room, but hovered in the doorway, intently watching her father fumble with the trinkets before him. The bright pinks and blues enticed the small child as she grinned from ear to ear. She had to have them. He may have said the objects in that room were for another but Booth had never met the determination of his daughter. She may have been an angel in his eyes but the glint shinning in her crystal blues was all Temperance Brennan. She was her mother's child through and through. As her father began to slowly toil away at the crib before him little did he know the bundle of determination he had released.

"Bones, babe, can you…" Booth turned to find his daughter before him, holding something tightly in her palms, "What you got there Mags?"

"Nothing." The child smiled sweetly before placing the few stuffed animals in the doorway and running back toward her room, giggling with glee.

"Yes, Booth?" Brennan smiled as she strolled into the doorway, almost crashing down on the small mound of toys before her, "Trying to kill your unborn child?" She laughed.

"Oh, that is all your daughter's doing." He raised his hands all day in defense but couldn't help but smile, "I have been sitting here all day putting together this baby furniture. Bones," Booth's eyes dragged across the glowing woman before him before setting down his hammer and leaning forward to tug at his girlfriend's lightly flowing dress, "does my boy even need all this? We just found out we are pregnant a few weeks ago and he already has a room full of furniture... pink furniture. You can dress him in whatever you wish but his room is his sanctuary, living with you and Maggie... he is going to need at least that much."

"Who says our child is a boy?" Brennan teased as she braced her body against the doorway, feeling herself getting lost in the soft traces his hand caused as it ran up and down her pale skin, "And I can promise you I have not gone shopping for our child yet. I told you it would be a family activity and still will be."

"You already told Angela we were pregnant?"

"Nope." Brennan defiantly smiled, "Only our family members know about our recent addition to our family."

"Then how did... oh no, Bones you didn't..."

"What didn't I do, Booth?" Brennan fumbled, suddenly unsure about how much she was willing to disclose and with the look of fear running through her baby blues, he knew.

"You kept all this stuff from when you had Maggie?" Booth's voice cracked as his eyes fell upon the guilt written all over his girlfriend's face, "Oh Bones, you... I... how did you know you were going to need it again? You have told me on countless occasions that Maggie was going to be your only child. If you didn't want any more children then why keep her stuff?"

"Um," Brennan's face suddenly fell. How was she to explain something she had so adamantly denied, even to herself?

Whenever the subject of donating Maggie's old furniture came up she would always dismiss the inquisition by rambling on about her busy schedule and not having the proper car to transport the equipment but the man sitting before her knew when she lied, even if she did not. And the truth, well, the truth was more than complicated. How was she to explain that even though she had denied it with her every breath, there was still a part of her that wanted to have a family. A real family with the man of her dreams. Even when he couldn't even look in her eyes without filling her heart with sorrow she knew, she wanted a family with him. And giving away the furniture was giving away part of her dream.

"Booth, I... I... just thought..." Brennan's voice broke as her body wavered against the doorframe.

"It's okay." Booth tried to reassure the woman crumbling before him, "We're partners, we tell each other everything. Whatever your reason was, I know it was a good reason. You have done nothing but the best for Maggie. You would do whatever it took to keep my baby girl from feeling an ounce of pain even when her father was being a damn fool. I was being an idiot... more than an idiot, I was being..."

"Booth!" Brennan interrupted his incessant ramblings, "It wasn't because of you, it was because... well I had faith."

"Faith?" His voice broke at the broken honesty flowing from his girlfriend's lips. After all they had been through, all he had put her through he never would have imagined that she would still have faith in the only thing he had ever been able to do right.

"Yes." She whispered her confirmation with what little strength she had left, "I guess I always knew that somehow we would be here, together with a growing proof of what we have, what we always had. I guess... as silly as it sounds, I guess I always knew it was you." The woman softly confirmed the thoughts that had been swirling around her mind ever since her heart began to once again flutter, this is the end. The end of something so heartbreaking she knew she was on death's doorstep. With a smile and nod he had brought her back to the life she always knew would have. Although the odds were stacked against her there was always a little part of her soul that knew she was destined for more.

"Oh Bones..." Booth groveled as he fell to his knees and crawled toward the broken woman before him. "I don't know what to say besides sorry." But that was all that needed to be said, one singular word had the power to break the chains that had held her heart down for so long. That same word had the power to give a fleeing heart the chance to go and as the chains began to slip Brennan knew she was at a crossroads of the heart and soul.

Brennan couldn't help the fear fluttering through her veins as her body searched for the closest source of comfort and strength. Stumbling backward Brennan landed squarely on the mound of toys her daughter had quietly been laying in the doorway. Reaching behind her Brennan couldn't help but laugh through the tears at each of the precious memory each of the toys possessed and the memories that would continue to grow with every passing second her second child would be on this earth.

"Da-da..." Maggie giggled, emerging from behind her mother, "trade?"

Fear would have to wait another day to firm it's grasp on the young mother's heart; for the innocence of a young child is just what a soul needs to keep from running from the sacred question of forever.


End file.
